Changed
by Crimson Love20
Summary: At first, Edward is popular, but after something traumatic happens, he becomes closed off. Bella moves in with her dad after her mother gets married to Phil. Can she help him regain who he was? All Human. OOC. ExB, JxA, RxEm.
1. Change Happens

**I think this is actually going to be one with chapters. LOL. It took me long enough, I know. I'll try to update regularly, but no promises.**

**Disclaimer: As for the Twilight characters, they all belong to Stephenie Meyer!! (But I can always imagine they're mine. XD)**

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**Edward POV**

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**"Emmett!" I hollered. "Come on, you moron, let's get going!"

"Edward, don't speak to your brother like that," Esme scolded.

I half-heartedly apologized. I couldn't help it if Emmett was being an idiot. God, we should have left ten minutes ago. But _noooo - _he had to make sure his hair was properly combed. My untidy bronze hair could never be tamed.

We were on our way to our dates' house. Emmett and I had a bet going to see who could date the most girls in a week; I was winning. He hated me for it, but I couldn't care less. Though we might live together we were brothers only by paperwork. You see, Emmett and I are adopted from different families, completely different ages. Well, half a year, but it's not like we're blood related or anything.

My adopted parents, Carlisle and Esme, were okay. They didn't compare to my birth parents, but they were nice enough. I mean, it's not like they starved me. But there were more rules - such as not yelling at my idiotic adopted brother, Emmett.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he grumbled, walking down the stairs - slower than he should have been.

"Took you long enough," I muttered.

"Oh, shut up, Edward." He "supposedly" mock-punched my arm, but I knew better. He was just sucking up to Esme. "Oh, I didn't really punch him, Esme. It's just a guy thing." Yeah, right. He and I both knew that he was just beating on me. Hell, even God knew it.

We got into my Volvo without another argument - something extremely rare for us. We'd gone five minutes without a fight. Praise God!

I sped down the highway, running a hand through my hair.

"If you would stop doing that," Emmett sighed, "you'd actually be able to tame it."

"Oh, shut up, Mr. Perfect," I snapped. "At least I don't spend twenty minutes in the mirror combing my hair."

Emmett smirked. "Ladies like a well-groomed man."

I chuckled. "Yes, that's why I've gotten the most dates this week. Because I'm _well-groomed_."

Emmett's smirk turned into a scowl. "Shut up, Edward."

I proceeded to smirk. I had won this battle, but the war was not over. As far as I knew, it would never be over.

Our dates, Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory, were pretty, but nothing like some of the other girls we'd gone out with - not like Tanya Denali. Damn, she was a head-turner. With her blonde hair, and long, tan legs, she looked like something straight out of a photo shoot. But even though she was hot, I'd never been that attracted to blondes. Whereas that was Emmett's weakness. Put a blonde in front of him, and you were invisible until the bimbo was out of sight.

That was why I had Jessica Stanley - a brunette, and he got the stupid blonde. The date went the same as all the rest - a movie, then some making out.

"I had a great time tonight, Edward," Jessica breathed, giggling. I just forced a smile before nodding. There was no way I was ever going back out with her. I swear, it was like underneath everything, she'd been born blonde.

Emmett and I had one tradition, one thing that kept us from tearing each other apart - we had to tell each other the stupidest thing our date said. Emmett went first.

"Get this - Lauren leaned over during the movie, and was like, 'You kinda look like a bear,' and then she giggled!" Emmett looked halfway proud, halfway irritated.

I dissolved into a fit of chuckles. "The first thing Jessica said to me was, 'Wow, you're really tan.' I just stared at her." Emmett grinned at me.

"These girls, Eddie - they'll kill us," he chuckled.

I rolled my eyes, pulling into Carlisle and Esme's driveway. "Whatever, Em." I got out of the Volvo, taking the key with me. Knowing Emmett, he'd take the key and total my car. He could do whatever the hell he wanted to his Jeep, but my Volvo was off-limits to him.

"How were your dates, boys?" Esme asked quietly. She was in the kitchen, washing dishes.

"Good. They didn't have enough cells between them to even have half a brain, though," Emmett snickered.

I gasped and widened my eyes. Emmett looked at me, confused. "They're just like you, Em!" I exclaimed. He scowled at me. I smirked.

"Edward. Shut up," he snapped.

"Emmett, don't insult young ladies, and Edward, don't insult your brother," Esme chided.

"Sorry, Esme, but it's true. Poor Em here has an empty head. It's sad, but true," I sighed.

Emmett glared at me once more before stomping up to his room.

I went to my room, sitting down on my bed. I glanced at the clock. 10:23. Not very late at all. I had nothing else to do, so I laid down and closed my eyes, my hands behind my head.

There was a knock at my door. "Come in," I grumbled. Who in the hell is interrupting me while I'm trying to sleep?

Carlisle walked in the door, a grave expression on his face. I came to a sudden realization. They were going to kick me out. They were finally going to kick me out. After skipping all the meals, neglecting all the chores, and ignoring Esme's scoldings, I was finally going to go back to my birth parents.

"Edward, I have something to tell you."

**Bella POV**

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**"Bella!" Renee called. I stuck my head into the living room.

"What, Mom? I was right there, you know," I said sourly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I'm getting ready to go to my art lesson. Would you like to come?" I internally cringed. My mom and art? Not a pretty sight. She couldn't paint if my life was in danger.

"Oh, no thanks, Mom. I'm just gonna hang around here."

"All right," she said cheerfully, bustling around the house, making sure she didn't forget anything. "Well, Phil will be here, so you'll be all right."

My chest tightened when she mentioned his name. I didn't like Phil. He scared me, and it always seemed like he was trying to flirt with me. "Great." I tried to sound excited, but failed miserably.

Renee stopped what she was doing and glanced at me. "Are you feeling all right, Bella?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry." I smiled at her. Fake, of course, but she didn't need to know that.

She smiled back warmly. "Okay. He'll be here in a few minutes." She glanced at the clock. "Shoot, I'm going to be late. Bye, Bella!" she called, running to her car.

_It's only for a few minutes, Bella, _I told myself. _You open the door, say hi, and that's it. Then you mention something about homework, and you'll go upstairs and wait until Mom gets back. Easy._

There was a knock on the door. "Bella, it's Phil." Huh. I wonder who that could be. Of course I knew it was Phil. He didn't have to tell me like I was some idiot teenager who didn't know who she was looking for.

"I know," I snapped, opening the door. But I instantly felt sorry. He seemed even taller now that Renee was gone, and there was an angry scowl on his face. Curse me for not wanting to go to Renee's art class. And curse me for being sarcastic this one time.

"Um, hi," I managed to squeak out.

He nearly shoved me out of the way. "Is your mom gone?"

"Yeah," I whispered. Oh crap. He was going to murder me. He was going to kidnap me. Hell, he was going to kidnap, rape, _then_ murder me!

"You want to watch TV or something?" he asked gruffly.

"No, I actually have some -"

"Then go." And with that, he dismissed me. Thank God at that moment that I was in the mindset to be dismissed.

I flew up the stairs, locking my bedroom door behind me. I had no homework, actually, but Phil didn't need to know that. Instead, I sat in my room for five hours, reading a book. When Renee came back, I couldn't tell. That art class was only supposed to take three hours. Then again, knowing her, she could have easily gotten lost. I should've given her a map.

"Phil!" she squealed excitedly, making me lurch off my own bed.

I hit my elbow on my nightstand, and my head landed on the wood floor. "Ow," I hissed. But it was only to myself, really. Renee was downstairs, saying something about when she found her technique, she could draw beautifully. I was forgotten, in my sanctuary, aching from my own clumsiness.

Of course, that clumsiness probably wouldn't have happened had Renee not scared the daylights out of me.

I sighed, sitting up. There would be a bruise on my elbow, and my face was already starting to swell. I had to get out of here. Or I at least had to get a stinking ice pack.

Sighing, I walked down the stairs, waiting cautiously for any sign of Phil.

"Oh, Phil, yes! Yes!" Renee shrieked.

Huh. Maybe he'd said one of her pictures was nice.

"Hi, Mom." I winced. My face was starting to really hurt.

"Bella! Guess what?"

No need to be rude with my thoughts. "What, Mom?"

"I'm getting married to Phil!"

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**Sorry for the cliffies, but that's my specialty! If you want to see more chapters, please review! I don't want to waste my time writing when you guys don't like it. So please, review, review, AND REVIEW!!**

**Crimson Love20  
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	2. Late Night?

**Come on, guys. This is making me sad. No reviews? Maybe another chapter will help.**

**Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

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_~"Edward, I have something to tell you."~_

_~"I'm getting married to Phil!"~_

**6 Months Later**

**Edward POV**

"Edward," I heard a soft voice call. I looked around the room, realizing that I recognized it. The bed with the blue comforter was familiar. The tan walls weren't distinctive to the average eye. But I knew this room. After all, this was my old bedroom. Books and toys scattered haphazardly on the floor.

"Edward," the voice repeated. I turned to the sound. My mother was standing there in faded blue jeans, a blue t-shirt, with her bronze hair - identical to mine - pulled into a low ponytail.

For a long time, I couldn't find my voice. "M-Mom?" I whispered.

She smiled warmly, her eyes sparkling. "Edward. I love you."

I searched her eyes carefully. "I know."

"Do you love me?"

I truly couldn't answer her. "I-I -"

"_Edward!_"

My eyes snapped open. Emmett was standing over me, a huge smirk on his face. "Wow, I was actually awake before you. Late night?" he guessed.

I wordlessly glared at him. There had been no late nights for me in months. I'd stopped going out on dates months ago as well. Ever since that night...

"Guess who I went out with last night?" He grinned.

"Emmett, can I just get dressed?" I asked quietly.

He was either oblivious to my request or just didn't care. "Tanya Denali!"

"Good for you," I muttered, rubbing my head.

I had to get him out of here. That dream had been too much for me to handle. I was losing control. My breathing quickened, and the room spun slightly.

Emmett was still blabbing about his date. "... mean, the movie was pretty bad, but making out with Tanya for half an hour made up for it."

"Emmett, get out," I snapped.

He met my gaze angrily. "You're just jealous that I went out with Tanya. I knew you had a thing for her."

"No, I don't. Get out." My stomach started to churn, and my limbs felt like they weighed a ton. My ears started to ring loudly.

"You know, Edward, just because you don't go out anymore doesn't mean that you can't at least listen to how mine went," Emmett ranted.

My mouth was extremely dry, and my breathing which had previously been quick was on the verge of hyperventilation. There was one thing I could do. "Carlisle!" I shouted as loud as I could.

He should be here. It was too early for him to be at the hospital.

"Oh, yeah. You're telling on me? That's mature, Edward," Emmett muttered, leaving.

The room was spinning. I felt extremely light-headed, and everything was starting to fade.

"Edward? Are you all right?" That had to be Carlisle. There was a gasp. "Edward, breathe deeply. You have to slow your breathing."

I focused solely on that for a long time, and before long, I was roughly back to normal. My breathing was still a little off.

"What happened?"

"I had a dream," I mumbled. "It wasn't good. And then Emmett wouldn't leave. I just kept getting worse." I swallowed. "I'm sorry."

Carlisle sighed. "It's not your fault, Edward. I'll speak to Emmett about staying out of your room in the morning. You should get ready for school."

I nodded. It took me a while to calm down enough to shower and get dressed. I was dreading walking downstairs to Esme. No doubt she'd already heard about my little episode. Esme constantly worried about me. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate it.

Ever since that night with Jessica, I'd been different. Instead of spending all my time dating girls, I played piano and focused on school work. Emmett was still unaware of the changes. I declined going to parties. I never dated anymore. I mostly stayed away from human contact, trying to get my life in order.

The episodes mostly happened after I woke up, but they'd never been that intense.

"Edward!" Esme cried, coming to wrap her arms tightly around me.

My throat closed up for a moment before I took a deep breath through my nose. "I'm okay, Esme. Really."

"Aww. Poor Eddie," Emmett snickered.

I ignored him. "Really, Esme. I'm fine."

She was clutching me like, well, like I was dying. She was about half a foot shorter than me, but that didn't stop her. I grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back a little bit.

"Esme, it's okay."

She nodded, blinking back tears.

Emmett smirked at me. "We'll talk about this later," he muttered, brushing past me.

Great. Just what I needed. A heart-to-heart with Emmett. This was bound to be a disaster.

We were leaving for school within minutes. I turned on the ignition in the Volvo, and we were on our way to school. School. I mentally sighed. When I'd been popular, I'd looked forward to it. Now I could barely force myself to go. The contact with that many people on that scale was overwhelming. The only person I talked to was Jasper Hale. He was a junior like myself, and he wasn't necessarily popular. He was, however, well-liked. There was a difference.

Emmett immediately jumped into his little heart-to-heart. "Okay, so what was that in the kitchen?"

I took a deep breath. I couldn't reveal too much. "Emmett, why do you think I wanted you out of my room?"

"Because you have a thing for Tanya Denali, and didn't want to hear about my amazing date with her?" He truly was an idiot, wasn't he?

"How many times do I have to tell you?! I don't have a thing for Tanya." Deep breath. Get back to the topic at hand. "Emmett, have you not realized how different I am?"

"Duh, I've noticed it. But I didn't want to say anything because I thought you were going to grow out of it."

Maybe he wasn't as stupid as I'd originally assumed. "I had an ... episode while you were talking about Tanya. Something happened, Em. Six months ago. That night I went out with Jessica, and she mentioned how tan I was." That was still completely random.

I was pale now. I'd stopped going outside long ago. I didn't want a reminder of that night. So instead of being tan, I was pale. Nearly white.

"Well, what happened?" he asked.

I took a deep breath, my hands shaking. "Carlisle came into my room that night. And he said he had something to tell me..."

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**Hehehe... Another cliff-hanger. If you review, maybe I'll tell you what happened to poor, poor Edward. Only I know. :D The next chapter will be in Bella's POV. Please review. They mean the world.**

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	3. First Day

**Well, this is kind of depressing. One review? -Sigh- Oh, well. I like this story, so maybe I'll just write it for me. :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I wish I did, but, sadly, I don't.**

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**7 Months Later**

**Bella POV**

"Bella, are you sure you want to go?" Renee asked yet again.

It had been seven months since Phil proposed, and things had only gotten stranger. He was around more, but every so often, I noticed him glancing at me and winking. That scared me more than I would care to admit. So I was going to live with my dad, Charlie, in Forks, Washington.

I hated Forks with a passion, but I hated Phil more. My hatred for Phil outweighed my hatred for Forks.

Charlie was happy about it, but Renee had nearly had a heart attack when I'd told her that I thought it was time to spend some time with Charlie. And now she was, yet again, trying to persuade me to stay. If she wasn't engaged to Phil, I would've readily stayed. But she was. And I couldn't tell her that I didn't approve. Renee was the type of person that thought she was right, and if you told her she wasn't - well, let's just say that you didn't want to be in the way when she was like that.

"Mom, I'll be fine. I need to see Dad anyway. Go and have fun with Phil," I encouraged.

"But you'll be here for the wedding?" she asked. I nodded, barely keeping a grimace at bay. I did not want to be there. Not at all. But I had to go, for Renee's sake.

"I'll be here. I really need to go now." She nodded sadly and pulled me into a fierce hug.

"I love you, Bella. Call me every day. You promise?"

"Yes, Mom, I promise," I sighed. All right. Now I was starting to get irritated. "I have to leave now. Bye, Mom."

"Bye, Bella," she whispered.

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"Hi, Dad." I managed to greet him weakly.

He smiled awkwardly. "Hey, Bells. How was the trip?"

I shrugged. "It was fine. How are things up here?" I was already getting sick of staring at green, but I couldn't complain. I knew what I was getting myself into when I came here.

"The usual. Nothing big. You're going to school Monday. I just wanted to let you know so you could catch up on your sleep this weekend."

I nodded. "Okay. I figured that's what I'd be doing, but I wasn't sure. You still living in the same house?"

Charlie nodded as a response and grabbed my bags. He led me around the house when we got there - nothing had changed. I tossed my bags on my bed and sat down. This would take some getting used to. But it was better than being stared at by my mom's fiance.

The weekend was short and uneventful. Besides finding out that Charlie couldn't cook if his life depended on it, save for breakfast, things were quiet in the boring town of Forks. I got ready for school on Monday, finding myself wondering what my classmates back in Phoenix were doing. I chuckled when I realized that they would be getting up at five in the morning to primp.

Charlie had gotten me a truck so that he wouldn't have to drive me. It was old but sturdy. Just the kind of thing I needed. Clumsiness did not go well with a breakable car.

As I walked into the school, I was instantly surrounded by excited students. They were all asking me about where I was from, why I came here, etc.

"Can everyone just please give me some space?" I asked meekly. Everyone stared at me like I had three heads.

"I don't even know why you're staring at _her_," came a female voice that sounded quite snobby. I looked up to see a strawberry blonde with golden eyes staring at me, giving me the evil eye. She was unbelievably gorgeous, but looked like a complete twit.

All the boys instantly started to stare, and let's just say they weren't looking at her face. A few girls, too, which wasn't anything from the norm. Tons of girls would kill to have her looks - I wasn't one of them.

"Hey, babe." A new male voice joined hers. A big guy who looked like he worked out a lot came to stand next to her. He had dark brown curly hair and had to be a few inches taller than her, even with the four-inch heels she was wearing.

She gave him a look of complete disgust. "I'm not your babe," she sneered, strutting away.

Almost instantly, an entire new flock of girls surrounded him. He smiled hugely and acted like nothing had just happened. So much had happened, and it hadn't even been five minutes. I wondered if Forks High School was always this dramatic.

As I wandered through the halls, I spotted a short girl with inky black hair. Her skin was pale, but she looked friendly, at least. A huge grin flashed across her face, and she started to sprint toward me. For a split second, I was afraid she was going to tackle me. She should have been on the track team. I couldn't believe how fast she was.

"Hi, I'm Alice. You must be Chief Swan's daughter, Isabella. I'm - we're - so happy to have you here. I can't wait until we go shopping together and -" She'd said everything in one breath.

"Wait. And it's just Bella. But what are you talking about?" I didn't shop. What was this pixie-like girl talking about?

She instantly frowned, her lower lip jutting out just a bit. "I thought we could be friends?" It came out as a weak question, followed by a hesitant smile.

I took a deep, calming breath. "Uh, yeah. Sure. So, Alice, was it? Who was that blonde girl?"

"Tanya or Rosalie?" she instantly asked.

"Um. I don't know. I'm new here, so -"

She sighed impatiently. "Did she have really tall heels on and did she treat you like dirt?"

"Uh, yeah. Kind of."

"That's Tanya. Don't get in her way. Rosalie almost looks the same, but I think she's way prettier. She's one of my friends, too. Rosalie should be nice, but I wouldn't completely count on it. Sometimes she gets in these weird moods. You just have to know when to leave her alone."

"Okay."

All that morning I found out that Alice was a junior, like myself. She loved to go shopping, whereas I didn't. But I gathered from how she spoke of her adopted mother, Esme, that she was a very passionate, strong-willed girl. Very loyal, honest, and pure-hearted. She sounded like an amazing friend. That, and she knew pretty much everyone here. Which wasn't that hard, considering there were under four-hundred students at Forks.

She walked me to lunch, and as we got our trays, I managed to stumble. Alice's hand shot out to grasp my upper arm. She smiled at me quickly. I sighed. Minor disaster averted.

"You'd better get used to that," I muttered as we sat at a table. "I'm one of the clumsiest people you'll ever meet."

Alice looked fascinated. "Really? I've, like, never tripped in my entire life. That's really str -" She stopped, looking down.

"What?" I asked, leaning forward.

"Nothing," she muttered, pulling her fingers self-consciously through her spiky hair.

"Alice," I said sternly.

She sighed angrily. "Fine. Look up, a little to the left. See the blonde guy in the light blue shirt?"

I searched for him until I found him. I nodded, confused.

"That's Jasper Hale," she breathed. "He's Rosalie's twin. I have, like, the hugest crush on him. But since he's never said anything to me, I don't know what to say to him."

I smiled for a short minute. "Alice Brandon, are you saying that you're speechless around this boy?" I asked, with mock surprise and severity. She giggled, nodding. I gave up the charade and smiled back at her. "Alice, it'll work itself out. No need to worry, okay?"

"Okay," she sighed.

There was a sharp clacking of heels, and then, "Bitch, why are you in my seat?"

My eyes flicked upwards to another gorgeous blonde. This had to be Rosalie. Alice was right; she was even more beautiful than Tanya because her beauty was more natural.

My skin flushed a bright red. "Sorry," I muttered, standing up.

"Bella, don't go." Alice started to stand, as well.

"No, it's okay. I'm done anyway." My plate was untouched. I threw it in the trash and managed to get outside without getting too lost. I breathed in the cool, crisp air, pulling my fingers through my hair, holding back tears.

"So Rosalie's managed to upset another person," came a calm voice from behind me. "All in a day's work for her, I suppose."

I turned slowly, finding Jasper standing right behind me. "I'm fine," I whispered, rubbing my eyes.

He smiled patiently. "I'm sorry about my sister. She's just pissed because our mom took her car away. Are you okay?"

I nodded, then a brilliant idea came to me. "You know, I might have heard somewhere that someone kind of, sort of likes you."

Jasper smiled, playing along. "Oh? And who would this be?"

"Give you a hint. Her initials are A.B. I have to get to class. Oh, and thanks, Jasper." I smiled once more before going to Biology. Jasper's face had been shocked the moment I said Alice's initials. Maybe I could help her out. Or it could end in disaster. Either way, I had to try to help her.

I walked into the biology classroom, finding that there was only one empty seat. And that the most gorgeous bronze-haired boy was sitting in the seat next to it.

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**Hehehe... Bella and Edward's first meeting - next chapter. Review and then I'll update. It's a fair trade. I put in half an hour of planning and typing, and you put in half a minute to tell me what you think.**

**XO,**

**Jessica  
**


	4. The Boy

**Soo... It's been a while. Sorry 'bout that. I have to remember to stop starting so many stories. Or at least tell my brain to stop getting all these ideas. HA.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, not mine, none of it's mine. Damn.**

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**Bella's POV  
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_Breathe, Bella. It's just a guy_.

I took my seat next to him, managing to keep my balance for once in my life. The boy didn't even look up. That was a small disappointment, but oh well. It didn't matter. This was Biology, not Talking To Boys 101. As I thought about that for a short minute, I realized that Alice would definitely be the teacher for that class. Well, except for Talking To Jasper 101, but that was a completely different story.

The bell rang, and the teacher began class. I kept sneaking glances at this boy who seemed to be frozen where he was. During the entire class, he never moved. Not once. He just stared at his book, turning pages only when necessary. He never seemed to blink. His head never so much tilted in my direction. When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, he grabbed his books and seemed to disappear out the door.

I went to my next class - study hall. I saw Alice sitting at a table. Rosalie was nowhere to be seen. I quickly sat down, wondering how long it would be until Rosalie showed up, or if she even had study hall. I was quiet for a while before I decided to ask her about the boy.

"Hey, Alice?"

"Hmm?" she murmured, staring at an essay that she yet to complete, though it was due next period. I hated to interrupt her schoolwork, but there was a part of me that couldn't care less.

"There was this boy in Biology, and -"

Her head snapped up, and she pushed her book aside eagerly. "Spill," she commanded.

"Well, he had bronze hair and green eyes and -" Alice interrupted me yet again.

"You sat next to Edward Cullen?" she asked quietly, her eyes flickering around like she was part of a conspiracy.

"I . . . guess?"

She shook her head, sighing. "Wow."

"What? I don't get it. He was weird, yeah, but he didn't try to kidnap me or anything."

Alice smiled patiently. "Bella, you were sitting next to one of Forks High's most notorious players. Well, ex-player," she corrected.

"I don't understand. How can you be an _ex_-player?"

She leaned forward in her seat. "Well, he used to go out with girls all the time. Every night, with his brother, Emmett. Then one day, he came to school and just stopped. He wouldn't talk to any of his friends, he stopped going to parties. Everyone thinks Emmett knows what happened, but he won't say anything about it."

"Well, how do you know about this?"

"The only person Edward talks to here is Jasper. And that's only occasional. I mean, they don't talk about what happened. It's just simple stuff. And Jasper mentions something to Rosalie, Rosalie mentions it to me. Get it now?"

I nodded. It sounded like something had happened to Edward, and he just wanted to be alone now. I couldn't blame him. I would've stayed in Phoenix had Phil not proposed.

"So did he talk to you or anything?" Alice asked hopefully. Though I knew she wouldn't pass it on as gossip, she must love knowing everything about everyone.

I threw Alice an exasperated glance. "No, he didn't."

"Did you talk to him?"

I sighed. "No, Alice, I didn't. I was trying to learn Biology."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Biology-shmiology." She paused, her eyebrows dipping in confusion. "Did that even make sense?" she asked.

I shook my head, and we both started laughing quietly.

She looked back down at her essay, sighing. "I hate school," she moaned.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "It'll get better, Alice," I promised.

She rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath about how Edward might not be crazy, but I sure was.

I went home after school, knowing Charlie wouldn't be at the house. I did my homework and left some chicken in the oven for him. I was so tired, it wasn't even funny. I collapsed on my bed, falling asleep instantly.

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**Ugh. That was torture, and not nearly as dramatic as I'd hoped for. Nonetheless, it was a chapter. And the next one will be much, much better. I promise.**

**Review, and I'll send you . . . virtual ice cream!! I'm an ice-cream person, so ... yeah. :D**

**PM me. Ask questions. Review. Etc. **

**XOXO  
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	5. My Bad

**Hey, no updates, but I just realized something. I was re-reading the story and realized that I made a mistake. Esme is not - I repeat, NOT - Alice's adopted mother. I screwed up there. Jasper and Rosalie are twins, Edward and Emmett are with Carlisle and Esme, and Alice has her own adopted mother, Mary. (From her name - Mary Alice... Yeah.)**

**Sorry about the lack of updates, but I'm trying to find time to do it. Who knew being a freshman would be so time-consuming? So one more time. Esme is NOT Alice's mom. Are we clear? **

**Good. So if the the fact that there wasn't an update on this story made you mad, review. It'll make me think faster. I promise. :D**

**Later. **

**-J  
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	6. The Girl

**Clearing up one thing - Edward is human. This is all-human. Okay? Good. :D On to the chapter!! (This is The Boy in Edward's POV)  
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**Disclaimer: Edward and Bella aren't mine. I'm just pretending they are.. It's not the same...**

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**Edward's POV**

I was having a horrible day. It was just an all-around bad day. I'd had another nightmare, and even worse was the fact that Emmett was sympathetic about it. The guy smiled apologetically when he saw the circles underneath my eyes. I knew I shouldn't have told him.

Emmett hadn't believed me when I told him, but after talking to Carlisle, decided that I wasn't lying. Esme didn't hug me this morning. Though I would never admit it to her, that was the time I looked forward to every day. In that moment, I could be who I knew I was inside - the small boy that wanted to be held and comforted. The absence of that small gesture had only added to my misery of the day.

And now I was watching Emmett stare at Tanya Denali again. I swear, he was obsessed with her. Ever since he'd gone out with her a month ago, he'd been following her around like a lost puppy. She had rejected him several times in public, but they still went out occasionally. Students began to crowd, and I wondered what trivial thing had caught their interest this day.

The students of Forks High were easily manipulated into following the newest thing.

I saw Tanya's jaw clench. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and said loudly, "I don't even know why you're staring at _her_." All heads instantly turned, and I could see who they had been previously fawning over.

A new face - she must have been Chief Swan's daughter. She was the talk of the town. Word had gone around that she was coming back, but many had doubted. At first glance, she was average. Brown hair that went past her shoulders. She had deep brown eyes and pale skin.

And Emmett took a chance. "Hey, babe," he greeted Tanya. I silently wished him luck. I saw the look on Tanya's face. This was a disaster in the making.

"I'm not your babe," she snapped. Emmett did the same thing that he always did. Grinned and a new group of girls surrounded him. I remembered when I used to be that way. Now, looking at it from a different perspective, it was stupid, really.

I took off, sighing. Emmett could catch up if he wanted. We didn't really talk all that much anymore. Not that we ever did.

"Edward," Jasper called. I glanced up. Jasper seemed to be the one person that didn't care who I had been and didn't ask questions why I had changed. He just accepted what I gave him.

"Jasper," I said quietly.

"How are things?" His voice was naturally quiet, and I envied that. I tried to be quiet all the time now. I tried to stay away from people these days.

I shrugged, glancing at the floor. "I've been better," I said truthfully. I always felt like I owed an explanation to him. He was always there when I wanted to talk, but I never could really say what I wanted to say. And he would sit there and just nod, trying to understand my jumbled mess of words that was supposed to be an apology.

He smiled sadly. "Isn't Esme out of town?" he asked, his voice still soothing. It was like he knew Esme was a key point in my life these days.

"Yeah, she is." The words hurt. My chest constricted, and I had to fight back the empty feelings beginning to surface.

"Well, I hope today gets better," he murmured. I nodded in response. "I'll see you around, then."

I looked up. "See you, Jasper."

He nodded and disappeared around a corner.

"Edward," came a girl's low voice. My heart beat faster. I hated it when they did this. Some of the girls couldn't get it through their minds that I had changed.

I turned around and saw a redhead sidled right next to me. She batted her eyelashes at me seductively. Her hair was wild, and her clothes were low-cut. "I'm Victoria."

I'm sure my expression was that of horror or something like it. She was the first one in a while to try to talk to me. Most people recognized the blatant differences in me and, as a result, left me alone.

"Listen, I have to be somewhere -"

She cut me off. "Oh, I know exactly where you have to be." Victoria grabbed my arms, pulling me closer to her.

My chest constricted tightly, and my breathing was going haywire. If she didn't stop, I was going to pass out. "Stop, stop, stop," I hissed. I would have pushed her away, but the fear of this happening was rendering me motionless. This had to be something close to what girls felt like when they were getting raped.

"Hey, leave him alone," Emmett called angrily. I never thought I would say this, but thank God for Emmett.

"Why should I?" she snapped, narrowing her eyes at Emmett.

Emmett got right in her face. "Because I said so. Now let him go."

Victoria scowled at him and let me go. "Fine. Whatever." She stormed off.

I leaned against the lockers, my head in my hands. I was barely restraining curling into a fetal position. My breathing had started to even back out, and the tight feeling in my chest was slowly disappearing. I wasn't even aware how loud my ears had been ringing until she was gone.

"Edward, are you okay?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah," I gasped. I took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm fine." I rubbed my eyes furiously, then raked my fingers through my hair. _Get it together, Edward_, I told myself severely.

I finally found the strength and self-control to look up at my adopted brother. The sympathetic, pitying look was written all over his face. I resented it.

"Will you be all right?" Emmett persisted.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Em . . . thanks." As much as I hated thanking him, the idiot had saved me.

He smiled. "You're welcome, Eddie." He smirked wickedly. "Who else is gonna save your ass when it needs saving?"

I scowled. "Emmett, shut up."

My brother grinned. "There's the old Edward. It's nice to see him. Oh, and Esme says that she misses you."

"Tell her I miss her, too," I muttered reluctantly.

"Aw, Eddie loves his mommy," Emmett taunted. Even though Emmett has known for a month, he still makes stupid remarks.

The tightening in my chest came back, and I stared at him with wide, horrified eyes.

Realization dawned on his face. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open. "Shit, I didn't mean it like that."

"I know," I muttered, standing up straight. "I know you didn't, Emmett." The bell rang, saving me from a humiliating explanation. "I'll see you later, Emmett."

"See you," he said uncertainly, heading to his first class.

Until lunch, my day had been normal. Teachers had left me alone, girls had stared longingly, sighing every now and again. I got a bottled water and left the cafeteria. I hated being around so many people. It was one thing I couldn't stand now. Before, I had reveled in being so popular. I thought it was what I wanted. Not so much.

I sighed. Things were so different. My mind immediately took me back to the night Carlisle had told me what happened. I'd screamed and cursed at him, told him he was full of shit. Then my mind caught up with my body, and I went limp. Instead of screaming, I was almost silent. I whispered that it couldn't be true, there was no way.

And Carlisle just watched me, his mouth set into a frown. "I'm sorry, Edward," he had whispered. And I had just sat there like an ass. I pushed him away. For those first few months, I had pushed everyone away. I didn't want to see anyone after that. For the rest of lunch, I was lost in my own thoughts, oblivious to the surrounding world.

When I came back to reality, tears were flowing down my cheeks, and I was huddled against the building, rocking slightly. I looked up, and Chief Swan's daughter was coming out of the cafeteria. Isabella, wasn't it? Jasper was right behind her. I moved so that I was hidden and quickly wiped my tears away.

I couldn't hear what Jasper was saying, but his mouth moved so I knew he was speaking. I stood up and checked my phone. We had about three minutes before class started. I headed for the Biology room.

I sat in my seat as the bell rang and watched as the students filed in talking about their weekends. Amongst them was Isabella. I turned my head, staring blankly at my book. I had to admit it - she was beautiful. But that wasn't who I was. I didn't date the first girl I saw. I didn't have contests with Emmett to see who could date the most girls in a week.

The chair next to me moved, and my chest tightened automatically. Not another one. But then Isabella sat next to me, and I knew that she would have to sit next to me. She had nowhere else to sit. So with a soft, inaudible sigh, I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to endure her presence. Thankfully, she didn't seem interested in talking to me.

The teacher began to speak, and I calmed myself slightly. She seemed like a good person. A person who wouldn't like to get caught talking during class. Now all I had to do was get out of here before she could say anything to me after class. I felt her eyes on me a few times during class, but I never returned her glances. Encouraging her would only make things worse for myself.

She seemed like a nice girl, but I couldn't afford to have anyone get close to me now. Finally, the bell rang, and I flew for the door, thankful that my personal hell hadn't been as horrible as I had anticipated. I went to study hall, sitting at my usual seat, next to Jasper.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concern etched into his voice.

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "Who was the girl you talked to at the end of lunch?" Even if I couldn't speak to her directly, I could still get information about her.

Jasper had a slightly amused expression on his face. "Isabella Swan. The chief's daughter. Rosalie scared her."

"Typical," I muttered. "We have Biology together."

My only friend, if that was what you would call him, snickered. "Looks like it's not the only thing you have together." He motioned with his head to a table twenty feet from us. Isabella was there with Jasper's crush, Alice Brandon.

I put my head in my hands. "Why must she torment me?" I mumbled.

"Isabella told me the strangest thing at lunch," Jasper said thoughtfully.

"What's that?"

"She said that she heard that someone with the initials A. B. likes me. You think she meant Alice?" Hope was woven through his voice. And there really weren't that many people with the same initials as Alice. Isabella seemed like she was friends with her, too.

"It might be possible, Jasper."

He smiled a little, watching Alice talk animatedly with Isabella. Alice was a flurry of black hair and hands as her body moved with whatever she was saying. Isabella was the complete opposite. She seemed reserved, yet her eyes were loyally trained on Alice's every movement. Her eyebrows dipped in response to something Alice had said.

Alice and Isabella carried on a conversation for a while before they both laughed and looked back down at their books. The bell rang, and Alice and Isabella left together. Jasper and I went our separate ways.

I met up with Emmett at his Jeep. I rarely drove anymore. Emmett was silent as he drove home, an odd occurrence for him.

"You're . . . friends with Jasper Hale, right?" Emmett asked cautiously as he pulled into the driveway.

"Yeah, I guess. Why?"

"Because his sister is _hot_." He grinned hugely, as if expecting me to agree.

"Whatever, Emmett. What do you want?"

"Hook me up with his sister. You need to have some fun anyway."

I gritted my teeth. "I'll work on that for you. No guarantees, though. Rosalie might be a bitch, but she's still Jasper's sister. He's not exactly going to give her up to Forks High's most notorious bad boy," I mocked.

Emmett grinned. "Just do what you can, Eddie. I think Esme's going to be home tonight."

I nodded absentmindedly. That would make things easier. But all I could see was Isabella Swan's face lighting up in amusement. Perhaps it would be harder to ignore her than I had anticipated.

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**Tell me what you think! I thought it would be kind of cool to have Edward be almost everywhere Bella was without her even realizing it. But that's just me. Tell me what you thought, PLEASE.**

**P.S. - Has anyone seen New Moon? I saw it yesterday, and loved it. Sorry, Catherine Hardwicke, but Christ Weitz did it way better.**

**Review, and tell me what you thought about New Moon.**

**Later.**

**-J  
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	7. Good News For Alice

**Guys, I am so, so, SO sorry for not getting this out faster. I've had major writer's block, and for that I am SORRY. :[ Okie-dokie. Next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine. None of it is mine.**

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**Bella's POV**

The next day at school, I found Alice. She was with Rosalie, and I had to admit, that scared me a little.

"Bella!" Alice called, waving me over impatiently. I hung my head and meekly made my way to her.

"Hey, Alice... Rosalie."

Rosalie scoffed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

"You guys still haven't officially met. Rosalie, this is Bella, Chief Swan's daughter. Bella, this is Rosalie." Alice looked pleased with herself for introducing us. I was just happy that Rosalie hadn't pulled out claws and ripped my eyes out yet.

"It's nice to meet you, Rosalie," I said quietly, glancing worriedly at Alice.

Rosalie was silent, and then I saw Alice elbow her in the side.

"Jesus, Alice," she huffed. "It's nice to meet you, too, Bella."

Alice grinned, pleased with her work. "Great. Now what did you want to tell me, Rosalie?"

Rosalie's face changed. Instead of being bored and disinterested, it lit up, and she actually smiled when she turned to Alice. "Jasper was talking about you last night."

Alice squealed, clapping her hands together, and I laughed. "What did he say?" she demanded.

"Just stuff about how _Bella_ had said someone with your initials liked him." Alice swung her gaze to me.

"Did you really do that for me?" she whispered. I nodded slowly, almost afraid of her reaction. She grinned. "Oh my God, I love you, Bella!" She flew forward and hugged me. I chuckled and hugged her back. "When did you find the time to do that?"

"When I left the cafeteria. He followed me, and I figured, why not?"

She beamed at me. Rosalie cleared her throat, demanding our attention. "You haven't even heard the best part yet," she insisted.

"Rose, what could be better than that?" Alice's tone was exasperated, but still incredibly excited. Rosalie glared at her, and Alice sighed. "Okay, I'll be quiet. What's the best part?"

Rosalie grinned. "He was looking through last year's yearbook to see if there was anybody else with your name."

Alice frowned. "But wouldn't that mean he was looking for someone_ other_ than me?" Tears came to her eyes.

"No, Ali, I know my brother. He was looking for you, I swear," Rosalie said, squeezing Alice's arm.

"Well, how do you know?" Alice mumbled, wiping tears from her eyes.

Rosalie chuckled, and I knew that Alice had asked the question Rosalie had wanted to ask. "I might know because he kept repeating, 'Alice-fucking-Brandon. It better be Alice Brandon.' He's so head-over-heels for you, Ali."

Alice grinned and hugged us both. "God, I love you guys." She sighed, looking toward the sky. "Thank you, God," she whispered.

I smiled, and Alice grinned mischievously. "So Rosalie, guess who Bella sits next to in Biology?"

The light in Rosalie's eyes stayed for the most part, but that bored look in her eyes returned slightly. "Who, Alice?" I noticed that she left me out, even though I knew where this was going.

"Edward Cullen."

Rosalie's eyes widened, and she looked at me inquisitively. "Are you serious?" she asked me quietly.

"Yeah... ?" My eyebrows dipped. I still didn't see what the big deal was. He was just a guy. Albeit, he was a gorgeous guy that should have been a model, but still, just a guy.

"Oh my God, that is incredible. Did he say anything to you?"

I rolled my eyes and got the sudden urge to say, "as if." _Whoa, calm down, Bella. Use that brain of yours. _I shook my head. "No, he didn't. In fact, he looked like he wanted to ignore me at all costs."

Rosalie smiled sadly. "Don't worry about it, Bella. He's just been weird the past few months. But you seem like the type of girl he'd like."

Well, this was new. Rosalie was being ... nice? I wondered if she was sick or something. Then I realized that that was kind of harsh. I mean, I'd only known her for one day, and I _had_ been in her seat. And as Jasper had so eloquently put it, she had been pissed off in the first place.

"Thanks, Rosalie." I offered a small smile.

"Just call me Rose," she replied, smiling. I nodded.

"Shit, Jasper's headed this way," Alice hissed.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Ali, he's my brother. It's kind of natural for him to be headed toward me."

"Well, yeah, but . . ." She sighed. "What do I say to him?"

"I think you should just go for it, Alice. 'Hey, Jasper. Want to go the movies this weekend?' That's what I would do."

Alice groaned, hopping up and down. "But that's _you_. And what if Jasper doesn't like that?"

"Then he's dumb," Rosalie and I said in unison. Alice chuckled nervously and sighed.

"I love you guys. I hope you know that."

"Yeah, we know," Rosalie snickered.

Jasper was headed straight toward us, and I could hear Alice hyperventilating behind me. "Hey, Rose. Isabella."

"Just Bella," I corrected, giving him a small smile.

He nodded. "Hey, Alice." His eyes locked onto her.

She smiled. "Um, hey."

Then he did something that surprised us all. He reached between me and Rosalie and grabbed Alice's hand. "Come with me?" he asked hopefully. Alice nodded, and she and Jasper disappeared around the corner. Rosalie and I looked at each other and _giggled_. Actually _giggled_.

"Oh my God," Rosalie choked out, laughing. "I hope she's not passed out. That would be hard to explain."

I started to laugh with her. Poor Alice - hopefully she was alive and well and acting normal. I took a deep breath and happened to see a familiar head of bronze hair. Edward was watching me, and I had a feeling that he was the reason that Jasper had come over here.

The second our eyes met, he dropped his gaze to the ground and disappeared around a corner. I looked back at Rosalie, whose gaze was stuck on the hallway where Jasper and Alice had disappeared.

After a few minutes, Jasper appeared, grinning from ear to ear. He glanced at me and mouthed, "Thank you." I smiled and nodded. He went the direction that Edward had been.

We waited for Alice, but she never appeared. Rosalie and I went around the corner, where Alice was leaning against the wall, hyperventilating.

"Alice? Are you all right?" I asked worriedly.

She squealed. "He asked me out!"

"That's awesome, Ali," Rose whispered. "Now can you stand up so you don't look like you're dying?"

Alice snorted and stood up. "Happy now?"

"Yes. Very happy," Rosalie said dryly.

They grinned at each other and squealed excitedly. I smiled, my quota of squealing and giggling done for the day. I glanced back, and Edward and Jasper were talking to each other quietly. Edward looked up and smiled at me.

I averted my eyes, smiling a little. _I wonder if he'll be like this in Biology..._

I could only hope.

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**God, I updated! I feel so proud. PLEASE review, I'm begging. Oh, and just so you guys know, I updated all my stories, save for Emerald and Topaz, which is finished.**

**- J.C.**


	8. Good News For Jasper

**Update time! **

**Disclaimer: NOT MINE.**

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**Edward's POV**

Thankfully, Esme came back that night so I didn't have to go one more day without feeling comforted. When morning came, I just wanted to curl up against her warmth and comfort instead of walking through the rain and ice.

"Good morning, Edward," she murmured tenderly. "How were you?" I stayed silent, wrapped in her embrace. There were times when I felt like such a little kid, and other times when I couldn't feel anything.

"I missed you," I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut. Esme sighed softly.

"Oh, Edward. I'm so sorry. You know I had to leave."

My chest constricted at the word 'leave.' I took a deep breath and let her go. "I know," I said quietly, keeping my eyes trained on the ground, refusing to look at her and see the sympathy in her warm eyes. "Sometimes I wish that you didn't, though."

"I know," she replied. She reached out and squeezed my arm. "I love you, Edward."

I nodded, heading toward Emmett's Jeep. I couldn't stand another 'family meeting' over my sanity and how I was feeling. It nearly made me sick to my stomach that four people knew. Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and the damned principal of the school. Apparently, Carlisle couldn't wait to broadcast that I had finally gone insane. Esme insisted that it was for my safety. Something about if I had a panic attack, then they would know what was going on and why.

I thought it wasn't necessary, but they obviously did.

"Hey, Edward," Emmett greeted as I climbed in. "Ready for another fantastic day of learning?" he asked sarcastically.

I glared at Emmett for a few moments and leaned my head against the window, wanting a few extra minutes of sleep. I faded in and out of consciousness until we arrived at school. When we got there, I didn't say a word to Emmett. I just opened the door and bolted. I knew how things worked. There were always about ten girls that waited for Emmett to get to school. I was not going to be in the middle of that screaming chaos.

I ran into Jasper in the hallway, and he seemed nervous for some reason. "Good morning, Edward," he murmured. His voice might have been calm, but his eyes were restless, and he was tapping his foot anxiously.

"Morning, Jasper," I replied. "Nervous about something?"

He smiled quickly at me. "Uh, yeah, I guess. I went through the yearbook last night - nobody else with Alice's initials."

I managed to smile at him. "That's great, Jasper. So what are you going to do about it?" I looked at the floor, trying to pull it together, to act like I cared. Which, I did care, but I couldn't find the enthusiasm. When he didn't answer, I looked up and found him staring behind me, his eyes focused.

I glanced back and saw Alice, Rosalie, and Isabella standing together, chattering and smiling.

Chuckling, I swung my gaze back to Jasper. "You are a love-struck fool."

He grinned. "Sorry." His eyes got that glazed-over look again, and I sighed. _Come on, Edward. Find a little bit of your old self. _An unexpected rush of confidence came from nowhere, and I grinned back at Jasper.

"You know what you need to do?" I asked, arching an eyebrow easily.

Jasper looked shocked at how responsive I was. "What's that?"

"Just go ask her. Stop pining and _ask_, Jasper. What's the worst she could do? She can say no, then you try again until she finally gives in." I shrugged. "What have you got to lose?"

He looked at me for a moment, then glanced at Alice once more, who was watching Isabella and Rosalie talk, her eyes locked on Jasper's form. A small smirk curled my lips. I knew how to read girls.

"Fine. I'll go ask." He turned and headed straight for the girls. I watched Alice's expression. Her eyes widened, and her lips moved as she presumably spoke to Rosalie and Isabella. Which reminded me - I still had to get Rosalie to go out with Emmett. I nearly burst into laughter as Jasper's hand wrapped around Alice's tiny wrist, and he tugged her into a deserted hallway. Rosalie and Isabella glanced at each other and chuckled.

They spoke for a moment before Isabella glanced back, and her eyes met mine. I stared at the ground, my confidence disappearing. I backed behind a corner, wanting to separate myself from this girl who so obviously wanted to say something, but also didn't want to push it. I waited, my eyes flickering to Isabella's form for the few minutes that Jasper was gone. Finally, Jasper emerged from the hallway.

Alice wasn't with him, but he was grinning, so I took it as a positive thing. "She said yes," Jasper murmured, smiling.

"That's great," I replied. "What did you ask?"

Jasper shrugged. "Just wondered if she would go to dinner with me on Friday?"

"What did she do?"

A grin spread across Jasper's face. "She fucking glowed, Edward. I thought she was going to pass out on me."

I smirked. "See? What did I tell you?"

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Don't forget. At least I did some of the work."

Snorting, I said, "Yeah, right. What work?"

"I was the one who had to actually go up and talk to her."

There was a short pause. "So how is Isabella?"

"Actually, she said it was just Bella. And she's fine although I wasn't necessarily focused on her at the time."

"True." I glanced back at the three girls, who were smiling and talking happily, excited for their friend. Isab - _Bella_ was smiling but wasn't jumping up and down excitedly like Rosalie and Alice. I smiled at her self-restraint. At that moment, she looked up and saw me smiling at her. Terror seized me. What if she wanted to talk to me because she'd caught me looking at her at the wrong time? What then?

But for now, Bella glanced to the side. I noticed a hint of a smile on her face, and I shuddered. Hopefully, she would be the same as she had been yesterday - quiet and calm.

I needed that peace.

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All right, here is the update! I want reviews, por favor? I'm tired, it's 3 a.m., and I except three reviews by the time I wake up... So that gives you guys roughly ten hours to come up with three reviews. Hopefully, you'll be able to accomplish it.

**Review... Or I'll die from lack of sleep, and then you REALLY won't know what's going to happen.**

**- J.C.**


	9. Second Day In Biology

**Apologies for the wait! Forgive me?**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all.**

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**Bella's POV**

I was curious all day, waiting to see how Edward would act when we were in Biology together. He had seemed friendly earlier, and I was hoping that whatever mood he was in would last. Maybe I would get to talk to him. But, then again, after hearing about the incident that had occurred, I didn't want to push him either.

Rose was at least halfway courteous at lunch. Apparently, our newfound happiness for Alice had bonded us, if only slightly. I noticed that Edward wasn't in the cafeteria, and that Jasper kept sneaking glances at Alice and vice versa. It was adorable to watch their interest in one another.

I was nervous when I walked into Biology. Edward was sitting in his seat, staring blankly ahead, his fingers tapping the desk in a rhythm. I put my things on the table and sat down in my seat. I glanced over at him discreetly, and his face was pained.

Intrigued, I glanced away. My brain began trying to find an answer to his expression. It seemed like he didn't want company, so that could easily be the answer. I wondered idly if his condition would get worse if I tried to talk to him. I opened my mouth slowly, my eyes trained on his reaction.

His hands curled tightly into fists, and his jaw clenched slightly. I closed my mouth, and he relaxed a little bit. _Huh. That's weird_.

I hadn't meant to actually speak, but the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. "Hi. I'm Bella."

He slowly turned to face me, almost dreading the movement, it seemed. His eyes pierced mine for a moment. He seemed to be trying to tell me something. "Edward," he said in a tight voice before looking back toward the front. I left it at that, because he was clearly uncomfortable.

I was momentarily disappointed when I realized that Edward's good mood hadn't lasted as I had hoped. But at least I had gotten his name out of him. He seemed to relax a little over the course of the class. I felt his eyes on me more than once but firmly kept my attention on the teacher, determined to not make him uncomfortable around me. When class ended, he still bolted, but it didn't seem as hurried.

I went to study hall and sat next to Alice, who looked like she was about to have a heart attack. "Jasper is in study hall with us!" she hissed, nodding her head to a table where Jasper was sitting. He threw me a small smile, then looked back at his books.

"Alice, please, don't completely flip out, okay?" I asked, teasing.

Her huge grin disappeared, and her mouth dropped open. "Edward," she breathed. I turned around to see Jasper and Edward sitting at the same table, talking quietly amongst themselves.

"Oh my God," I whispered, turning around quickly.

"So did you two talk today?" she asked, bouncing up and down in her seat.

"Uhm, nah, not really," I answered distractedly, trying to calm down. I didn't need Edward thinking that I was obsessed with him.

"What does 'not really' mean?" Her eyes narrowed at me.

"I introduced myself."

"And?" She grinned widely.

"He looked at me like I'd stabbed him, and then he muttered his name." My voice was slightly acidic.

Her expression fell. "Aw, Bella, it'll be okay. He's just weird. Maybe he's told Jasper what happened, and I can get that out of him soon."

I shrugged. "Really, Alice, it's not a big deal. I'm sure there have been plenty of girls that have pined for him, and they didn't get the story. I don't need to be the exception." Alice and I glanced back at the table that Jasper and Edward were sitting at. Edward had his hands over his eyes, and his shoulders were hunched. Jasper's face was full of sympathy, but his posture told me otherwise. In fact, it almost seemed like they were arguing about something.

Alice sighed, glancing at Edward and Jasper once more. "Whatever you say, Bella. Whatever you say," she muttered.

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Yeah, it's short, I know. But Edward's POV is always longer. Review? Por favor?

**- J.C.**


	10. Study Hall

**Again, I know this is very late, like everything else I write. I'm a horrible author, I know. But here's the update from Edward's point of view. And it even has a surprise at the end, so maybe you'll forgive me?**

**Disclaimer: Edward isn't mine. He's Stephenie Meyer's... Damnit.**

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I spent all day worrying about what Bella could do in Biology. I hoped she would understand that I just couldn't do that. I couldn't have a relationship. I couldn't get close to anyone.

At lunch, I began to worry even more and couldn't even stay in the cafeteria. I went outside and spent the half-hour working on not hyperventilating. I knew Emmett was looking for me, but I didn't have the time or patience to look for him and explain where I had been. Jasper could tell him.

A few moments before the bell rang, I was in my seat. I closed my eyes, feeling my heart pound with anxiety at the prospect of seeing Bella again. It seemed to chant, _Don't talk, don't talk, don't talk_. I exhaled slowly, trying to calm myself. My fingers automatically began to play a piece I had learned a month or two ago.

I opened my eyes and continued playing, feeling the weight of several stares on me. I tried to quell the urge to fidget uncontrollably, but just barely. I saw Bella walk through the door, and my chest clenched tightly.

I tried to breathe normally, but it wasn't working. She sat down next to me, and I felt her stare, over everyone else's, the worst. I felt my mouth grimace and realized that my hands had frozen and were slightly shaking.

The weight of her glance disappeared, and I exhaled slowly, softly. She wasn't going to talk. I was safe. But just as I thought I would be able to relax, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed her mouth opening. I was instantly rigid, my heart beating so fast that I thought it would jump right out of my chest.

My hands balled up into fists, and my jaw snapped shut, silently warning her. Her lips closed, and I allowed myself to relax slightly.

"Hi. I'm Bella."

I inhaled sharply but silently. She had spoken to me. The rude thing to do would be to ignore her, and that wasn't an option. She had merely introduced herself. It was only polite that I do the same. I turned toward her slowly, trying to calm myself in the process.

My eyes flickered to hers, trying to make her understand that there was nothing wrong with her. It was me. _It's all me, Bella. Don't try anymore. _"Edward," I said tightly. I turned back to the front of the room, and Bella seemed to sigh next to me.

I felt bad that I had hurt her feelings, but it was all for the best, really. I wasn't capable of holding a relationship with someone. Even someone as good as Bella. Perhaps if it had been another time, another place.

Bella left me alone the rest of the class, and I could sense her wanting to look over at me which made me equally uncomfortable. But she seemed determined to let me have my space and for that, I was grateful. It allowed me to slightly relax and focus on what the teacher was saying rather than worry about her intense gaze.

The bell rang, and I shot out of my seat again, heading to study hall. My mind couldn't help but show me what could have been. I could have been waiting for Bella, walking to her study hall, having Jasper, Alice, Bella, and I at one table, not doing work, but talking about our day. I could have been taking Bella's hand and squeezing it gently, smiling at her, and she could have been doing the same to me.

But this was a different time, a different place. This would never happen. When I got to study hall, Bella was already there, talking with Alice.

I mentally begged, _Don't look back, don't look back, please don't look back_. Something already told me that Alice knew Jasper was here because she had a huge grin on her pixie-like face.

As if by the fate of God, Alice's eyes snapped up and met mine for a short second before flicking away. She lowered her head, and I saw her mouth moving.

"Shit," I hissed. "Jasper, keep your girlfriend under control, would you?"

Jasper's eyebrows dipped. I rarely snapped around him. "What's wrong with you?"

My eyes flicked up to where Bella and Alice were sitting, and I saw Bella turning around quickly. I groaned. "Bella talked to me."

"You didn't pass out, did you?" Jasper teased.

"I nearly did," I admitted, letting my head fall into my hands. "How are you and Alice?"

"We talked a little during lunch. Speaking of which, Emmett was looking for you. He was worried about you." Jasper paused. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"

"Jasper, we've discussed this," I muttered. "You agreed that I wouldn't have to tell you anything I didn't want you. You said we could just hang out."

"I know what I said, Edward," he snapped. "It's just kind of hard to figure out what the fuck is wrong with you when you won't tell me anything."

"I'm _fine_, Jasper."

"Tell it to someone who believes it. I'm going to sit by Alice." My head shot up.

"What?"

Jasper chuckled humorlessly. "You think I'm going to sit here and mope with you when Alice is over there? I don't think so. You're welcome to join us," he offered, his face softening slightly.

"No. I'm fine." Jasper sighed.

"Suit yourself." He picked up his things and went to Alice and Bella's table. He sat next to Alice and hugged her quickly. She looked like she was on cloud nine.

I resisted throwing things like a two-year-old. I buried my face in my hands, trying to calm my irrational anger. I'd been _left. _He had left me for her.

I heard the chair scraping across the floor and worked on not punching Jasper in the face. But the hand on my arm was not Jasper's. My head shot up to meet warm brown eyes looking back at me.

"Are you okay?" Bella whispered, concerned. Her hand was still on my arm, and it was . . . soothing. It was almost like a hug from Esme.

"Yeah," I breathed, searching her eyes. "Why are you here?"

Bella stammered a bit, and her eyes widened. "W-Well, you looked upset, so I just thought – you know, that maybe you wanted some company?" Her voice had trailed off to a whisper.

I stared at her for a long minute, shocked by her offer. I had been everything _but_ kind to her, and she was being compassionate toward me.

"You look tired," she whispered, her eyebrows dipping.

I shrugged, and a small smile tugged at her lips. "You want me to stay or leave?"

"Either way is fine."

So we stayed that way all period. Bella kept her small hand on my arm, sometimes rubbing reassuringly, sometimes motionless as I stared contemplatively at Jasper and Alice, wondering if there was a way I could be that for Bella one day.

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Edward talked to Bella without being a complete jerk about it! ^^

**Review?**

**- J.C.**


	11. The Plan

**So I know that I suck. I haven't updated in forever, and I know that. But here's the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Edward and Bella aren't mine. -sigh-**

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BPOV

After that first day in the library, Edward and I had a very touch-and-go relationship. There were days I could tell from his body posture and apologetic grimace that he wanted nothing more than to be left alone. So I acted like I didn't know him. And then there were other days, and those were the ones I looked forward to. Those were the days when it seemed like he was waiting for me to begin conversation.

Every so often, Edward would join Jasper, Alice, and I during study hall, sitting at the same table with us, but not speaking. Alice knew not to push it, and Jasper, having been around him for so long, would merely smile and scoot over, giving him a place to sit.

This had only happened a handful of times, but I still had hope. It wasn't even that I wanted Edward to like me anymore. I was grateful for him just being my friend.

Alice had become popular with Charlie, and as a result, had been spending the night every weekend for a month. It was nice to have friends since I had been mostly alone in Phoenix. Renee still called, but I found myself complaining less and less about Forks.

Jasper and Alice were dating. That had happened after their first date when Alice nearly passed out from excitement. Rosalie and I were happy for her, and I could tell that Edward was happy for his friend.

"Bella!" Alice called, shaking me out of my thoughts. I looked around for her and smiled when I saw her. She had Jasper by the wrist, dragging him with her. I chuckled.

"Yeah, Alice?"

She grinned widely. "We're still on for tonight, right?"

"Of course, Ali, of course," I said. It was Friday night, and she was scheduled to come over, as usual.

"Good! I have plans." She winked, and I was instantly wary.

"What plans?" I asked slowly.

Jasper snickered, and I shot him a glare. "Oh, nothing, nothing," Alice said quickly with a wink toward Jasper.

"Alice, what are you planning?" She was up to something, I just knew it.

Alice bit her lip and began bouncing in place. She was trying to keep her plans to herself. Her eyes darted around suspiciously before she leaned in close. "We're setting Rose up with Edward's brother, Emmett!" She squealed, clapping her hands together.

My mind went blank. "We're . . . what?"

Alice rolled her eyes. "We're going to devise a plan to get Rose to go out with Emmett Cullen," she said slowly.

"Why?" I questioned. Rosalie hated Emmett. I didn't know how he felt about her, but he obviously had a thing for Tanya Denali. Who were we to interfere?

Alice sighed heavily. "Bella, you ruin everything. Because Edward told Jasper who told me that Emmett has a huge crush on Ro –"

"Who has a crush on who?" Rose asked, appearing out of nowhere.

Alice squeaked and mimed zipping her lips, her eyes widening by the second. Jasper laughed and kissed the top of her head, trying to ease her worry.

"Nothing," Alice said too quickly.

Rose arched an eyebrow. "Mhm. Whatever you say, Alice."

Alice smiled brightly. "Jasper and I are going to go find Em – Edward," she amended, shooting a worried glance at Rosalie.

Jasper grinned at her, and they went their own way. Rosalie began to mutter and walked down the hallway, shaking her head. I stayed by my locker for a few moments before heading toward the cafeteria to wait for the bell to ring.

As I was walking there, a flash of familiar bronze hair caught my eye. Edward was sitting on the ground in front of a tree, his face hidden by his hands. I didn't move for a long minute before cautiously walking toward him. As I got closer, the situation became clearer.

Edward was rocking in small movements, and I could've sworn I heard sobbing. I crouched down, setting my books on the ground.

"Edward?" I whispered, wanting to help him but not sure how to do that. He looked so vulnerable, so broken.

His head snapped up, and his green eyes were wide and tear-filled. "Bella?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's me, Edward. Are – Are you okay?"

He swallowed heavily before running a hand through his hair. He sighed quietly. "Yeah." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling quietly. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just need to sit for a little bit."

I wanted to ask him what I had witnessed but got the distinct feeling that he wanted me to drop it. "Do you want me to stay?"

He was quiet for a moment, lost in his thoughts. "Do whatever you want," he finally mumbled.

I sat in front of him, pulling my legs to my chest and resting my chin on my knees. My thoughts were still on what had happened, but I decided to go in a different direction. "Alice says that Emmett has a crush on Rosalie?"

Edward smiled slightly, silently laughing. "Yeah, he does."

"Wow. Never would've guessed with the way he follows Tanya Denali around."

Edward cringed. "He's . . . unsure. He's been asking me to set him up with Rosalie for months now. But he doesn't want to screw it up since Rosalie is so . . ." He paused, looking for the right word.

"Fiery?" I suggested.

Edward smiled. "We'll call it that." He ran a hand through his hair again nervously, gnawing on his lip. "Listen, Bella. Thanks for distracting me. I really appreciate it."

I shrugged and smiled. "It was nothing, Edward. Don't worry about it. I was just being a friend."

His demeanor suddenly shifted, and when he smiled, it was forced and icy. I recognized this look and instinctually stood up, grabbing my books. "I'll see you in class," I said quickly.

When I glanced back, he looked shocked, but the intensity of his previous look kept me away. I ran into Alice, Jasper, and Emmett who were hanging out in front of the cafeteria. Emmett looked desperate, and I remembered what Edward had said about Emmett liking Rose for a long time.

As the conversation came to a close, Alice spotted me and motioned me over. "Bella! Come here," she hissed, looking around for Rose again. I followed orders, knowing better than to defy Alice.

"Emmett, this is Bella Swan," Alice said, introducing us quickly.

"Oh, I know," Emmett said with a wink. "You're a little cutie. No wonder Edward is –"

"We're not talking about Edward," Jasper interrupted, throwing Emmett a disapproving glare.

Emmett scowled but nodded. "So what's the plan?"

"We don't know yet," Alice admitted. "Bella and I are going to come up with it tonight. But please, Emmett," Alice sighed heavily, "don't be an ass. She doesn't really like you now. If you come off as more of a jerk, she'll never get near you."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "I promise I won't be an ass."

"Thank you." Alice grinned as the bell rang. She scowled like she could stop the bell with her mind. When that didn't work, she sighed. "All right. See you at lunch, Jasper," Alice murmured, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek.

"Actually, Alice, I think I'll be sitting with Edward today," Jasper said, smiling sadly.

Alice nodded. "All right. Bella, Rose, and I will be in our usual place then. I'll miss you." I turned to go to class, unable to endure more of Alice's sadness. I felt Emmett's presence behind me as I walked.

He chuckled quietly. "He talks about you constantly," he breathed before abruptly disappearing into a classroom. I shivered at how creepy he had just sounded. Edward appeared out of nowhere.

"What did Emmett want?" he asked in a hard voice.

"N-Nothing," I answered, stammering slightly. "Nothing. We were talking about him and Rosalie."

"Oh." His shoulders lost the tense edge to them, and he seemed to relax. "So he didn't . . . ask you out?" he asked, purposely looking away.

"No," I chuckled. "But he did say I was cute." I scoffed quietly.

"Oh, yeah?" Edward murmured in a disinterested voice.

"Mhm."

We walked silently for a while before Edward finally said, "Cool." I realized we were at my first period class. "See you in Biology," he said, turning around and walking the other way without another word.

I stared after Edward, shocked. _Did Edward just... walk me to class?_ I spent the entire first half of the day dissecting our three-minute conversation. He had to have been walking me to class if his class was back the other way. Maybe he'd just lost track of time and walked past the classroom.

But how could he do that? He never had any other social obligations. There wasn't any reason for him to pass his first class unless he really was walking me to class.

I finally began to accept that he walked me to class because we hadn't exactly finished the conversation. He was probably just waiting to see if I would say anything else.

At lunch, Jasper and Edward sat together, speaking quietly. Alice, Rose, and I sat at our normal table, chattering and making small talk. Alice sighed, forlorn, and glanced back at Jasper.

I smiled sadly at her. "Ali, if you miss him so much, just go sit by him."

Alice perked up and shook her head. "No. If he wants time with Edward, he can have that. I don't mind."

I smiled wryly. "Alice, you're not fooling anyone."

She groaned quietly and rested her head on the table. "You're right. I miss him."

"Then go sit by him," Rosalie chuckled.

"I _can't_," Alice moaned. "If he wanted to sit by me, he would be sitting by me. He wants to be with Edward. I mean, he's honestly been neglecting him to spend time with me, and he's really Edward's only friend during school." I frowned. Edward didn't think of me as his friend? "Besides you, Bella," Alice added, seeing my face. "But really, Jazz has been his only friend for a long time now. And I took him away. Do you think he hates me?"

"Edward doesn't hate you, Ali. As far as I can tell, he doesn't hate anyone. He just doesn't _like_ people. He mostly prefers to be alone."

She sighed, glancing back at Jasper again. I followed her gaze. Jasper and Edward both looked up and smiled a little. I looked at Rosalie, who was pushing her food around on her plate.

Alice moaned and put her head down on the table again. "I can't take it anymore," she sighed.

"Take what anymore?" asked a familiar voice. Alice's head shot up off the table, and she grinned.

"Jazz!" she squealed, grasping his hand. "Hey, how are you? I mean, we were doing fine without you, but if you want to sit, I'm sure that we won't mind, right, guys?"

I snickered. "Yeah, we were fantastic without you, Jasper."

"I'm sure you were," came Edward's quiet voice. I looked up to see Edward behind him.

"Mind if we sit here?" Jasper asked, already pulling a chair up beside Alice.

"Sorry. Girls only," Rosalie teased.

Jasper winked. "I'm sure it is, Rose. I guess you'll have to make some exceptions."

Edward followed Jasper's lead and pulled a chair to the table, taking a seat beside me. "So what's new?" he mumbled. I frowned a little. He seemed to be speaking because he had to, not because he was interested in the conversation.

Already, he put his head down on the table, uninterested in anything else going on around him. I gently put a hand on his shoulder, trying to let him know I was there so I didn't startle him. It didn't work.

His shoulders tensed, and he flinched slightly. "What?" came his muffled, rough voice.

"Are you okay?" I whispered. I didn't want to draw attention to his behavior, but Jasper was shrewdly watching us, his eyes narrowed. Rosalie was still pushing her food around, and Alice was too enamored with Jasper to notice.

"Just tired," Edward replied, facing away from me as he shifted and kept his head on the table.

"Edward, you hungry?" Jasper asked, looking disappointed.

He shook his head, and Rosalie scoffed. "It's a damn good thing. This food is disgusting."

I smiled slightly as I watched his shoulders vibrate with what I hoped was laughter. "Pack your lunch. It helps," Edward advised quietly.

Rosalie's eyes widened, and she nodded slowly. "Um, thanks. I'll remember that next time."

Edward was silent the rest of lunch, but I noticed that Jasper looked happier. When the bell rang, Edward stood up without a word and left. Jasper watched him leave, and I could see the worry in his eyes. Everyone said their goodbyes, and I followed Edward to Biology.

He was silent in Biology, not offering conversation. Because of that, I left him alone. If he wanted to talk, he would talk, I reasoned. When the bell rang, he hung back for the first time, letting us walk together.

"How are you?" he asked quietly.

"I'm okay. You?"

Edward shrugged, and his body language shifted as we passed a group of people. He turned away, his shoulders hunching. I noticed Tanya Denali and his brother with them. Emmett's face was full of sadness as he glanced back at his adopted brother.

A girl with curly red hair appeared out of nowhere, smiling widely. "Hey, Edward. So what have you been up to?" Her eyes slid to me. "And who's this?" She scowled.

"Victoria, go away," he muttered, trying to move around her. However, she wasn't having any of it and walked backward as he continued to move forward.

"No. You were supposed to meet me a few days ago. Why didn't you?"

"I wasn't supposed to meet you," he said, his voice louder and angrier.

Her head cocked to the side. "Yes, you were. We were going to have some fun." Her lips curled into a sly grin.

"Victoria, you bitch, no, we fucking weren't! Stop bothering me!" he shouted, his hands clenching into fists.

Her eyes widened, and she finally seemed to get the message, backing away. "You know he's only going to use you then get rid of you," she sneered at me before slinking down the hallway.

I glanced at Edward, shocked and afraid. He was still angry, now stalking down the hallway toward study hall.

"Nothing ever happened between me and Victoria," he growled. "Nothing was ever going to happen between us. Just in case you were wondering."

I nodded shakily. "Yeah, I figured. I mean, I hoped that you weren't . . . you know."

Edward stopped abruptly and raked his hands through his hair. He turned around, his eyes gentle and pleading. "Forgive me for raising my voice and for cursing. That's not who I am anymore."

"Of course, Edward. She was bothering you. I understand."

"And don't listen to her about me using you. I'm not that person anymore, either."

"So I'm told." I smiled a little. "Come on. We're going to be late."

We made it to study hall just in time. Alice and Jasper were already sitting together, and I sat down, not bothering to see if Edward would sit with us. He would probably sit alone, if today was any indicator.

But to my surprise, he took a seat beside me, setting his head down on the table once again. This time, however, he hid his entire face. It wasn't long before I heard quiet gasps from him. Jasper seemed to know something was up because he kept stealing glances at Edward.

Finally, he stood up and put a hand on Edward's shoulder. He leaned down and whispered something to him. Edward hunched his shoulders further and shook his head. He sat up a little and ran his hands through his hair. I could see that his eyes were red, and there were streaks of wetness that ran down his face. I looked away, feeling too out of place.

Edward exhaled quietly, and to my shock, I felt his hand on my elbow. I glanced at him, shocked, but he wouldn't meet my gaze, his face slightly red.

"Edward?" I questioned softly.

His hand slid down to grasp my wrist. He inhaled deeply and moved his hand even lower, twining his fingers with mine. My hand was frozen, and I glanced at Jasper, confused.

Jasper was watching us, and he smiled when he saw our entwined hands. He leaned down in my ear, the one farthest away from Edward. "Let him have this," he whispered. "He needs to be comforted."

I nodded slowly, still unsure, and my hand gained some life again. I flexed my fingers slightly before relaxing into Edward's touch. I rubbed my thumb over his every so often, and he seemed to relax into my touch as well.

We were both quiet, simply holding hands while we worked. Edward read a book, and I worked on English homework. When the bell rang, Edward released my hand, packing his things up. He glanced up at me as I gathered my things together.

"Thank you," he said quietly. I nodded, smiling.

I didn't see Edward the rest of the day, and Alice appeared by my car at three o'clock. She was grinning widely. "Ready?"

I couldn't help smiling back at her. "Of course I am, Ali. Have you already said goodbye to Jasper, or will I be waiting for a few hours?"

She stuck her tongue out at me. "Yes, I've said goodbye to Jasper. Have you said goodbye to Edward?" she giggled as she got into my car.

I shot her a look. "I don't know what you're talking about, Alice."

"Don't think I didn't see you and Edward holding hands in study hall. There's obviously something going on between you two."

"There's nothing, Alice. He's been having a rough day. I was being a friend."

Alice gave me an unimpressed look. "Bella, _please_. Friends help each other by telling stalkers to go away. Friends lend each other some money to go buy concert tickets. But friends don't hold hands to make each other feel better."

"Alice, please. He doesn't feel that way about me. He doesn't like anyone, remember?"

But Alice wasn't buying it. She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Whatever you say, Bella. But I don't believe it."

"Can we change subjects? What about Rose and Emmett? Do you think it'll actually work?" I asked as I left the school, passing Edward and Emmett.

Alice shrugged. "If Rose gives him a chance. I think he really wants to date her. Not just a one-time thing, either. I think he really wants an exclusive relationship with her. She just needs to forget that he's a player."

"Should we really be setting her up with someone like him?" I mean, I didn't know Rosalie too well, but something told me that she wouldn't appreciate getting set up with a player.

"Edward and Jasper think it'll work, and so do I. Emmett just can't be an asshole otherwise Rosalie will never go near him. But if he shows her his sweet side, I'm positive that she'll fall for him." Alice smiled.

We were quiet the rest of the drive. When I pulled up to my house, Alice got out and made herself right at home like she always did.

"Bella, I love your house," she sighed, reclining on the couch and picking up the remote. "It's so homey."

"I bet yours is," I laughed, sitting down in Charlie's recliner.

She scoffed. "Nah, it's dirty most of the time, actually." She turned the TV on and began to flick through channels. "So what was it like?" she asked after a long minute.

"What was what like?"

Her eyes sparkled when she glanced at me. "Holding Edward's hand, silly. I bet his hands are cold. Are they?"

I shook my head. "No, they were actually really warm."

"Really?" Alice smiled. "Jazz's hands are usually cold. Edward has long fingers, though, doesn't he?"

"Mhm. I think he plays the piano. He's mentioned it a time or two when we talk."

"That's cool. Do you think he's good?"

I shrugged. "Probably. Edward's good at just about everything."

Alice laughed. "I bet there's something he's not good at. Jasper says that he's not good with people. He used to be, but not since six months ago."

I shrugged. "I don't know. He sounds like he used to be a jerk."

"He was." Alice gave me a sad smile. "Something's obviously gotten him spooked. Whatever it is can't be good, but I'm glad. It helped him for the better."

"Was Jasper always like he is?" I wondered. Had something happened to him to make him kind and quiet?

Alice grimaced a little. "He used to pick on me in middle school. But I mean, you know, Rosalie and I were best friends, and he was a boy. It was normal, I guess. Jasper's pretty much been the same ever since I can remember. He was never like Edward or Emmett."

"Well, I guess that's good."

She smiled, running her hands through her hair a few times. "Yeah. He's really sweet." She glanced down and grinned. "Speak of the devil." She answered her phone, her eyes sparkling. "Hey. Yeah, she's here." She put the phone on speaker. "All right, Jazz, we're both here. Is Edward with you?"

It was quiet for a moment. "Yeah, he's here. So what are we planning for Monday?"

"Hmmm. I think Emmett should just hang around us and say something about Edward acting weird. Edward, could you act, uh, really upset?" Alice asked. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything, so say no if you don't want to."

There wasn't any sound for a long moment, but it sounded like they were arguing. "Edward can do that. And he says that he can get Emmett in on the plan as well."

"Great. Now we have to make sure that Rosalie doesn't decide to be super bitchy on Monday." Jasper snorted, and Alice smiled. "Jazz, can you make sure she's happy over the weekend?"

"Of course. It'll be hard, but I think I can manage." I heard the smile in his voice and grinned myself. Perhaps this would work.

"We're all going to need each other's numbers so we can call each other if we need to," Alice said slyly, winking at me. My face heated when I realized what she was up to. She was getting me Edward's number.

"Alice," I hissed. She laughed silently, holding up a finger.

"Ali, you can give Bella mine, and I'm sure you can give me Bella's. Edward doesn't have a phone anymore. He trashed his a few months ago."

Alice got this really heartbroken look on her face, and I sighed softly and squeezed her shoulder. "It's fine," I mouthed. "Really."

She nodded. "All right. I can do that. Anything else?"

"Nope, nothing on our side. Anything on yours?"

"Edward, why were you holding Bella's hand?" Alice asked before I could react.

"_Alice_," I hissed.

"Please, Ali, drop it," Jasper whispered.

"I want to know," she persisted. I glared at Alice, and she shrugged nonchalantly.

"Edward," I heard Jasper say quietly.

"Don't touch me!" Edward shouted. "Don't fucking touch me," he warned in a low voice.

"Edward, calm down," I said. "Please calm down."

It was quiet for a long time. I waited while Alice put her things in my room. She had dumped the bags near the front door, too excited about being at my house to do much else.

"I'm sorry," Edward finally whispered. "Sorry, Jasper. I didn't mean to yell."

"It's okay," I heard Jasper reply. "I understand."

"So are we good now?" I asked, my voice filled with hope.

"Yeah, we're good. Is Alice away from the phone?" Jasper mumbled.

"Yes. She's putting her stuff in my room. Should I tell her to text you later?"

"That's fine. I guess I'll talk to you two later. Rose should be home soon. Bye, Bella."

"Bye, Jasper. Goodbye, Edward." I ended the call as Alice jumped down the stairs.

"Hey! Is Edward okay now?"

"Yeah, he's better. I don't know why you had to do that, Ali, but at least everything's okay."

"I just wanted to know why he was holding your hand! It seemed weird for him to hold your hand after he hasn't wanted to be near _anyone_ in six months. Isn't that weird to you, Bella?" Alice questioned, arching an eyebrow. She sat down next to me.

"Yeah, I guess that's weird. Oh, and Jasper says to text him later." I laughed when Alice immediately picked up her phone.

"I doubt he meant within thirty seconds, Ali."

She scowled at me. "I was going to give you his number, but now I'm not so sure." She stuck her tongue out at me, and I laughed.

"Okay, okay, Alice. Could I have Jasper's phone number?"

"Of course you can." She recited it to me, then sighed. "It's a shame that Edward doesn't have a phone anymore."

I shrugged. "Oh well. It's not too bad. He probably got rid of it when he started acting weird."

"Probably," Alice agreed. "Now we have to get ready for Monday. Rosalie is going to fall for Emmett if it's the last thing I do."

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-dramatic music- Bum bum bum... So that was the longest chapter on this story to date. Like it? Hate it? Either way, I'd love a review!

**- J.C.**


	12. Destruction

**Here we are with Edward's POV. Not too long of a wait this time, and almost 8,000 words. Enjoy! (:**

**Disclaimer: Twilight = not mine. D:**

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"_Edward!" called an all-too familiar voice. "Edward, please!"_

_I continued to run, refusing to look behind me. I had to get away. I couldn't stay. "Go away! Leave me alone!" I shouted._

"_Edward, please! Wait!" the voice insisted._

"_No! I can't do this!" I realized too late that I was headed off the edge of a cliff. I began to fall and screamed._

"_Edward!" _

My eyes snapped open, and I shot up in bed, gripping the sheets so tightly that my knuckles were white. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I felt clammy.

"Edward?" Esme whispered.

I jumped, turning to look at her. I hadn't realized that she was in my room. "God, Esme, you scared me," I sighed, taking deep breaths.

"You were screaming again," she whispered, reaching forward to move a lock of hair out of my eyes. She pressed her fingers to my sweaty forehead.

I ducked out of her touch, still uncomfortable. "I'm sorry."

But Esme was persistent, and she gently touched my cheek. "Don't apologize, Edward. It's all right. It's time to get up for school anyway. Are you feeling okay to go to school?"

I felt my stomach churning but knew that I had to go. If I stayed home one more day, I'd lose the option to exempt from some of my finals. And I really didn't want to take some of my finals.

"Yeah, I'll go. I'll be done in a little."

Esme smiled sadly and nodded. I avoided looking at her directly, not wanting to see the pity in her eyes. I rolled out of bed and hopped in the shower, letting the warm water soothe my nerves. I was still shaky from my nightmare. Honestly, I'd had them every night for a few weeks now, but I'd been too stubborn to tell Carlisle.

I got dressed in jeans and a plain t-shirt, heading downstairs, letting my bare feet shuffle against the floor. Emmett was downstairs already, yawning as he began to pile food on his plate. Esme smiled and swatted his hand away. "Emmett, leave some for Edward and Carlisle."

"Sorry, Esme," he mumbled, his face already stuffed with food.

I rolled my eyes a little and sat at the table, drumming my fingers a little on the table, listening to the melody inside my head. It wasn't something I had learned, but something original of mine. It was haunting and dark.

"Edward, do –" Esme began.

"Shh," I pleaded, holding up a hand. I couldn't lose this train of thought. I stood, my first instinct to find some blank sheet music so I could write. "Where is it?" I growled, searching around my piano. "Esme, where's my blank sheet music?" I shouted, still looking.

"Isn't it by your piano?" came her voice from the kitchen.

"Obviously not. I don't see it." My voice held frustration, and I struggled to keep up with the notes inside my head.

"Oh. Here's some, honey." She handed several pieces over, and I took them as nicely as possible. I scribbled the notes down as fast as I could, catching up to the melody in my mind. I felt Esme's presence behind me and chose to ignore it, figuring I could deal with that when I was done with the song. But after a piece or two of sheet music had been filled, my mind suddenly went blank.

"Gotta be fucking kidding me," I grumbled, raking my hands through my hair. _Give me music, then don't finish it. Fuck you, brain_. In a fit of rage, I threw the pencil across the room and shoved the sheet music away from me. I buried my face into my hands, clenching my hair in my fists.

"Edward," Esme said warily. "Honey, it's all right. You can work on it later, you know."

I yanked on my hair, sighing heavily. "I know. I'm sorry. I'll clean it up." I leaned back from the piano bench and took a deep breath.

Esme shook her head, smiling fondly at me. "No, don't worry about it, Edward. Emmett's about ready to leave for school anyway. If you want breakfast, you might want to get in there. I'll clean it up. You finish getting ready for school."

"I _am_ ready," I mumbled, continuing to reach down to pick up the paper I'd shoved away.

"So I suppose you're going to school with bare feet and crazy hair?" Esme snickered, arching an eyebrow. I knew she meant to be playful, but I bristled, feeling defensive.

"My shoes will take two seconds, and if there's an issue, I can just grab some shoes and get into the car anyway. And we both know my hair stays like this regardless of whatever I try, so that doesn't even count."

"Edward, go eat something," Esme urged.

"I'm not hungry," I growled, gathering the papers into a stack.

Esme sighed and leaned down to grab some of the sheet music. Something came over me, and I smacked her hand away. "Don't touch my stuff," I snapped.

Esme's hand was curled into a fist, and she was holding it against her chest. Her eyes were wide, confused. "Edward?"

"Edward, I know I did not just see you hit Esme," Carlisle seethed, anger evident in his voice.

Carlisle didn't get pissed off very often, but I knew that he loved Esme very much and wouldn't stand for violence.

I held my tongue and ignored him. I continued to pick up the sheet music, although the pace was much faster. I knew Carlisle wouldn't hold his anger in long if I continued to disrespect him. But I wasn't ready to apologize, especially since I still felt like I had done nothing wrong.

"Edward Anthony, what did I see you do?" he asked in a tight voice.

I averted my eyes from his figure which was coming closer to me. Right near his feet was the first page of music I had filled. I needed it. I felt my demeanor change. It wasn't that I could come back later and get it. It would be gone if it wasn't with me _now_.

I needed it. I scooted forward carefully, glancing up worriedly at Carlisle. _Just a little more. Just a little more_, I kept thinking, inching closer and closer to my emotions on paper.

Right as it was in reaching distance, Carlisle reached down and picked up the paper. _No_.

"You want this?" he asked.

"Please," I whispered, sitting back on my feet.

"I want you to apologize to Esme." His voice was firm, and I glanced between Esme and Carlisle incredulously.

"Hell no," I sneered. I wasn't going to apologize to her for touching my things. If I didn't think I'd be grounded for life, I would've already tackled Carlisle for the first sheet of music.

Carlisle's jaw locked, and he took the paper in between his hands. "Last chance, Edward. Apologize, or I'll rip it."

My heart slammed into overdrive, and I felt myself break into a sweat. I needed it. But my pride wouldn't let go. "I didn't do anything," I insisted in a raw voice. "She touched my stuff."

"She was trying to help, and you hit her," was Carlisle's hard reply. "You know we don't hit, Edward."

My eyes widened. I had to say that I was sorry. I had to, but I couldn't bring myself to say the words. I hadn't done anything wrong. I had been trying to help her by picking up my mess, and now I was being punished for it.

"I'm not going to apologize for something I didn't do," I whispered.

Carlisle sighed. "So be it." I watched in horror as he ripped the paper into shreds, all my emotion and thought destroyed.

"No!" I screamed, lunging at him. I knocked him to the ground, and he pushed me off of him.

"Edward, stop it. You can always rewrite it," he snapped. Hands shaking, I touched the tiny shreds of paper.

"It's gone," I whispered. "It's all gone." I thought back to the melody, hoping to recall it, but to no avail. It was gone. I slammed my hand against the door frame, ignoring the sting in my hand. I screamed, knowing no words to describe the anguish I felt at having my music destroyed. I curled in on myself, gripping my hair at the roots, pulling it as hard as I dared. I screamed again, until my voice gave out.

I clumsily got to my feet, and I felt something wet hit my feet. I looked down to see tears running over the tops of my feet. "Fuck," I cursed, scrubbing at my eyes.

"Hey, Edward?" Emmett said quietly. "Man, it's time to go to school."

I stalked past him, keeping the remainder of my music clenched in my fist. I grabbed my shoes, holding them up with a harsh smirk in Esme's direction, reminding her of what I'd said.

Emmett headed out to his car, and I grabbed my backpack and stuck the music into one of my folders. I swung it over my shoulders and slammed the front door shut. I climbed into the car and shut the door.

"Go," I muttered, knowing Carlisle would rather keep me home from school to apologize than let me go. Emmett started his car and backed out quickly. I put my shoes on and sighed heavily.

"Fuck," I hissed, gripping my hair and pulling, my new habit when I was stressed.

"Edward, what happened?" Emmett asked curiously.

"She touched my stuff. I told her I'd get it, and she didn't listen to me. I got pissed off and gave her a little tap on her hand to tell her to back off, and Carlisle went ape shit and shredded my music." I scowled, resisting smacking my hand on the car door.

I knew Emmett wouldn't appreciate that.

"Well, you know how he is with Esme."

"I don't want to talk, Em. I really don't." I sighed, scrubbing my face with my hands. I felt tears well up in my eyes at the reminder that my music was gone.

"Edward, I know you don't want to talk, but have you done anything about Rosalie yet?" Emmett asked hopefully.

"We're working on it, okay?" I mumbled. "Me, Jasper, his girlfriend, Alice, and their friend, Bella. Alice is supposed to be telling Bella today."

"Is she that brunette?" Emmett wondered.

"Yeah."

"I've seen her around with Jasper and Alice. She looks nice."

I clenched my jaw. "As in, cute nice, or compassionate nice?" I ground out.

Emmett gave me a sideways glance. "As in compassionate nice. I wouldn't ask you guys to set me up with Jasper's sister if I wanted to go out with Bella, fuck. Nice to know you think so highly of me," he groused.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't worry about it."

"Why? Do you _like_ her?" he teased, obviously thinking he was just joking.

I felt my cheeks redden a little, even though I didn't have an answer. _Did_ I like Bella? She was nice and pretty, but she never acted like she was . . . _attracted_ to me like the other girls had been. She'd never given me an indication that _she_ liked _me_.

Emmett looked at me, astonished. "Oh, fuck, you do, don't you?"

"No!" I instantly snapped, a reflex reaction. Of course, that completely gave me away.

"Does she know?" he asked, completely bypassing my negative response.

"No, Emmett. I don't like her."

Emmett sighed as he parked in a space. "Keep lying to yourself, Edward. I'll see you later." I got out of the car with a growl, slamming the door with a little too much force.

I passed Bella, Alice, and Jasper in the hall, talking together, but I didn't want to interfere. I sat at the bottom of the tree on the way to the cafeteria, just thinking.

I heard a familiar voice whisper, "You go on and talk to Emmett." I looked up to see Jasper in front of me. He crouched down. "What's wrong? I see it written all over your face."

"I had a bad morning," I mumbled.

"You want to talk about it?"

I sighed. "I lost control, Jasper. I hit Esme, and fucking tackled Carlisle. I told myself I wouldn't get that mad anymore. I fucking _promised_ myself I wouldn't."

"It's okay, Edward," Jasper soothed. "We all get a little pissed from time to time."

"And then Emmett has decided that now I _like_ Bella." I scowled, looking away.

"Do you?" Jasper asked, taking a seat next to me.

"I don't _know_. She's pretty and nice and smart. But I – I have too much going on, Jasper. I don't know if I can be in a relationship right now."

"This is all stuff that you have to work out, Edward. I can't help you with this. But I'm always here for you, if you need someone to talk to. Alice and I have to go talk to your brother about Rose." He stood up, and I knew I needed more than what I was getting.

"Sit with me at lunch? Without the girls?" I pleaded.

"I'll think about it," Jasper said, heading toward Alice without another word.

I buried my face into my hands. My throat tightened, and a rough sob worked its way out of my throat. I shook as I cried. Cried for my music, my friend, Jasper, myself.

I had no clue how long I sat there, crying, before I heard, "Edward?"

I looked up, startled, and saw Bella's kind eyes watching me worriedly. "Bella?" I rasped.

She nodded a little, her eyes softening. "Yeah, it's me, Edward." She swallowed a little, running her hand through her hair. "Are – Are you okay?" Her voice was quiet, soothing.

I sniffled a little, wiping my tears away, sitting up straighter. I would be okay now. I hated crying in front of others. I took a deep breath, letting my tears dissipate. "Yeah." I let my eyes fall closed, gathering my composure. "Yeah, I'm okay. I just need to sit for a little bit."

I saw the curiosity in her eyes and barely resisted wincing. _Please don't ask, Bella. Please don't_.

"Do you want me to stay?" she finally asked.

I did want her to stay. But perhaps she had other things to get to. I didn't want to keep her, but I didn't want to send her away. "Do whatever you want," I answered.

She took a seat, tucking her knees to her chest. She was quiet for a while, probably waiting to see how my behavior was. "Alice says that Emmett has a crush on Rosalie?" Her tone was amused, so I followed her lead.

I gave her a half-smile. "Yeah, he does."

Bella's eyes widened. "Wow. Never would've guessed with the way he follows Tanya Denali around." She gave me a doubtful look, and I hastened to defend Emmett.

"He's . . . unsure. He's been asking me to set him up with Rosalie for months now. But he doesn't want to screw it up since Rosalie is so . . ." I trailed off, thinking of a nice way to phrase her moodiness.

"Fiery?" Bella suggested.

I forced a smile. _If only she could be called fiery. Not even close. _"We'll call it that." I raked my fingers through my hair. I felt my teeth against my lip, an old nervous habit. _I thought I stopped doing that_. "Listen, Bella. Thanks for distracting me. I really appreciate it."

She lifted her small shoulders, giving me a hint of a smile. "It was nothing, Edward. Don't worry about it. I was just being a friend."

_A friend_. Jasper hadn't been a friend in a while. Should I pull away from him, detach myself from him as well? Should I do it to save myself the heartache? I smirked sarcastically at myself. I saw movement in the corner of my eye. Bella was standing, grabbing her things.

"I'll see you in class," she told me quickly, already backing away. My eyebrows dipped. Why was she leaving?

I decided to ignore what the action could mean and pulled out my slightly crumpled sheet music. When I saw the first page missing, my free hand clenched into a fist. My eyes involuntarily closed in my anger, and I saw Carlisle's face as he tore my music – _my music – _to pieces.

Not something I'd memorized. Not something I'd learned. Something from my _soul_. Something from the very core of my being – and he had ruined it.

The bell rang, and I got to my feet, putting the music back into my backpack. I saw Emmett following Bella, and anger rippled through my body. Why the fuck was he following her? He leaned forward in her ear and said something. Bella shuddered, and I stalked over to her, irrationally upset.

"What did Emmett want?" I snapped, working to control my fury.

"N-Nothing," she stuttered. I looked her over. I didn't buy it. "Nothing," she insisted. "We were talking about him and Rosalie."

I relaxed slightly. "Oh. So he didn't . . . ask you out?" I averted my gaze, refusing to look at her.

She laughed. "No." I exhaled deeply. "But he did say I was cute." She scoffed, and my jaw clenched.

"Oh, yeah?" I forced myself to mumble nonchalantly.

"Mhm."

On the outside, I hoped I appeared calm. On the inside, though, I was in turmoil. Thoughts were racing, swirling, in my mind. Emmett said that he didn't like Bella. Then why would he call her cute, and to her face, no less?

Was he playing games with me, or was he serious? My jaw tightened. Either way, I'd show him. I noticed as we passed my first period class. I walked beside Bella, waiting until we got to _her_ first period class.

"Cool," I said, just to say something. Bella looked at me, astonished. "See you in Biology." I turned, heading back to my first class.

Jasper was waiting for me. "Hey," he murmured.

"Hey," I replied, dropping my things beside me as I took a seat.

"So I told Alice that I would sit with you today," Jasper told me, watching my reaction.

I felt a smile at the corners of my lips. "Thank you," I whispered fervently.

Jasper smiled a little, too. "You're welcome. It's not a big deal."

When lunch came around, Jasper and I took our own table. I noticed him blowing a kiss to Alice, who smiled and waved a little.

"So what's on your mind, Edward?" Jasper asked, turning to me.

"I've been having more nightmares," I confessed.

"How often?" Jasper gave me a sad smile.

"Every damn night." I groaned. "I always wake someone up."

Jasper's eyebrows dipped. "_How_?"

I looked away. "Screaming. Or crying. Sometimes both." I swallowed, hearing the voice in my head. _Edward, wait! _

"I'm so sorry, Edward. Do you think being around people would help at all?"

I shrugged. "Obviously I don't since I left everyone in favor of being by myself."

"But you seem to do well with me, Alice, and Bella," he pointed out.

I shrugged again, sighing. "I don't know, Jasper. I just don't know." After a moment or two of silence, I spoke. "So what about you and Alice? How's that going?"

Jasper sighed almost dreamily. "She's amazing, Edward. She's incredible."

"I'm glad you're happy," I said sincerely. Jasper looked up and smiled, his eyes twinkling as he stared back at Alice. I followed his gaze but focused on Bella who was looking this way also. I smiled a little, then chuckled as I saw Alice put her head on the table.

"I'm going. You can come if you want," Jasper muttered quickly.

I sighed under my breath and followed him, not knowing what else to do. "Take what anymore?" I heard Jasper tease. Alice looked up, and a huge smile filled her face.

She took his hand, already babbling. Bella chuckled. "Yeah, we were fantastic without you, Jasper."

"I'm sure you were," I added, feeling a little hurt that Jasper had so readily abandoned me.

"Mind if we sit here?" Jasper laughed, already sitting.

"Sorry. Girls only," Rose taunted.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "I'm sure it is, Rose. I guess you'll have to make some exceptions."

For the sake of not looking like an idiot, I took a seat next to Bella. Might as well _socialize. _"So what's new?" I managed, feeling all wrong saying the words. I put my head down on the table, closing my eyes.

Until I felt a hand on my shoulder. It took all I had to keep from hissing to not touch me. "What?" I snapped, figuring it was Jasper. I wasn't in the mood to talk.

"Are you okay?" Bella murmured, watching me worriedly. Her eyes flickered to the rest of the table before coming back to me.

"Just tired," I mumbled, turning my head. _Leave me alone. Just leave me alone_, I pleaded.

"Edward, you hungry?" Jasper asked. I heard the concern in his voice and tried to block it out. I shook my head anyway.

Rosalie snickered. "It's a damn good thing. This food is disgusting."

I silently chuckled. "Pack your lunch. It helps," I suggested.

"Um, thanks. I'll remember that next time."

I kept my head on the table, never relaxing. I was always sure that someone was about to talk to me, or about to touch me. Forget being Jasper's friend. If I was going to choose between being alone or being Jasper's friend, I would rather be alone than be forced to sit with people that I, for the most part, did not like.

The bell rang, and I stood, grabbing my things, and headed to Biology. I took my seat, raking my hands through my hair. Bella came in a few minutes later and sat down, smiling and giving me a small nod. I hoped that meant that she knew to leave me alone.

It must have because she didn't say one thing through the entire class. I was grateful to her for that at least.

The bell rang for study hall, and I decided to walk with Bella for the first time. "How are you?" I asked, feeling uncomfortable with the silence for once.

"I'm okay," Bella said, smiling. "You?"

I shrugged, but when I looked up, I saw Emmett, Tanya, and all my old friends. I stiffened, looking away. I didn't want to talk to them. I never wanted to talk to them.

As we were walking, Victoria came out of nowhere. My heart began to pound, and my pulse skyrocketed. _Please. Not now. Not with Bella_.

She smiled seductively. "Hey, Edward. So what have you been up to?" She finally noticed Bella, scowling a little. "And who's this?"

"Victoria, go away," I said forcefully, trying to sidestep her. Unfortunately, she wasn't taking the hint and moved backward as we continued to walk.

"No," she snapped. "You were supposed to meet me a few days ago. Why didn't you?" _Fuck you. Fuck you, Victoria. We both know that's a load of bullshit._

"I wasn't supposed to meet you," I growled, doing my best to keep my anger under control.

She tilted her head to the side, grinning. "Yes, you were. We were going to have some fun." I noticed that she looked at Bella as she said it.

"Victoria, you bitch, no we fucking weren't! Stop bothering me!" I yelled. I felt my hands clenching into fists, and I gritted my teeth.

Victoria finally began to realize how angry I was. "You know he's only going to use you then get rid of you," she snapped at Bella. She backed away before I could say anything else.

I felt Bella's eyes on me and swallowed. This was not happening to me. "Nothing ever happened between me and Victoria. Nothing was ever going to happen between us," I insisted. "Just in case you were wondering." I glanced at Bella out of the corner of my eye.

She nodded. "Yeah, I figured. I mean, I hoped that you weren't . . . you know."

In all the time I'd known her, I'd never seen Bella unable to find words. She had to have been frightened of me. I stopped, turning to face her, exhaling quietly.

"Forgive me for raising my voice and for cursing," I pleaded. "That's not who I am anymore."

"Of course, Edward," Bella soothed. "She was bothering you. I understand."

"And don't listen to her about me using you," I blurted. "I'm not that person anymore, either." God, I was trying so hard to be good, and the universe was making it impossible for me.

Thankfully, Bella seemed to believe me. "So I'm told. Come on. We're going to be late."

The bell rang right as we made it to study hall. Alice and Jasper were huddled together, smiling and talking. I clenched my jaw at the sight of the happy couple and exhaled tightly. Bella continued to walk and took a seat.

I knew they all expected me to sit alone, but I was craving contact, even the slightest amount. I sat down beside Bella, putting my forehead against the table. I set my head against my arms, closing my eyes. Tears filled my eyes at the thought of going back to Carlisle and Esme. I had no idea how disappointed they were in me right now.

God, if he decided to kick me out. . . I had nowhere to go. Especially after . . .

There was a hand on my shoulder, and I recognized the pressure. "Edward, are you okay?" Jasper whispered.

I tensed but shook my head. I shifted and pulled my fingers through my hair. I needed contact.

"Touch Bella," Jasper breathed.

I let out a heavy breath. Bella wouldn't mind, would she? Fingers shaking, I reached for her elbow. The moment my fingers came into contact with her skin, she looked at me, bewilderment coloring her features. I refused to look at her, feeling myself redden slightly.

"Edward?" she whispered, confused.

I let my hand glide down to her wrist. After taking a deep breath, I finally moved my fingers to hers, letting my fingers move to the spaces in between hers. Her hand was tense, and I saw out of my peripheral vision that she glanced at Jasper with wide eyes.

He moved to her right side and whispered something in her ear. She nodded to whatever he said, and her fingers twitched and began to rub her thumb over mine. I was hyperaware of every movement. With nothing else to do, I read while she worked on homework.

The bell rang, and I released her hand. I looked up at her for the first time all class. She was smiling, content as she put her things away.

"Thank you," I whispered. She smiled brightly and nodded.

Jasper and I went to our final class. "Alice is staying the night at Bella's. Do you want to come over later?"

"I'll have to call Esme," I mumbled, dreading the fact. "She might not let me go."

"You have to. We're going to call Alice to talk about the plan. Rose is going to the mall after school so it's the perfect time."

"I'll do what I can," I promised.

After school was out, I found myself in the parking lot next to Jasper's car calling Esme.

"Cullen residence," she answered brightly.

"Esme, it's Edward," I said cautiously. "Can I go to Jasper's for a while? He'll bring me back around seven or eight."

"You'll miss dinner," she sighed. I didn't know what else to say so I kept quiet. "Yes, you can go."

"Thank you." I hung up, nodding at Jasper. "Emmett already knows that I was thinking of going with you. He should be fine."

Jasper and I headed to his house. Jasper's mom was cooking in the kitchen and smiled at us when we came in. "Good afternoon, Jasper. Edward, what a pleasant surprise!" She smiled widely.

"Hey, Mama," Jasper greeted, hugging her quickly. I swallowed, looking away, reigning in my emotions.

"Hi, Mrs. Hale," I said, smiling. She smiled at me and came over to hug me as well. I reveled in every second of her warm arms around me. I liked hugs. Esme gave me hugs. Well, she did. I wasn't sure how much would change when Jasper finally dropped me off later that night.

I didn't dwell on that too long, though, and followed Jasper to his room. "So how was study hall?" he asked, no trace of teasing or taunting in his voice.

"Good," I mumbled, pulling a hand through my hair.

We were quiet as we heard Rosalie going through her room and listened to her say goodbye to their mom. The front door slammed, and I heard her engine rev. Jasper watched from his window and nodded at me.

"She's gone."

Jasper pulled out his cell phone and dialed Alice. "Hey. Is Bella with you?" He put the phone on speaker, letting me listen. "All right, Jazz, we're both here," came Alice's bright voice. "Is Edward with you?"

Jasper arched an eyebrow. "I'm not talking," I hissed.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "Yeah, he's here. So what are we planning for Monday?" he asked, sitting down on his bed. I took a seat in the chair at his desk.

"Hmmm. I think Emmett should just hang around us and say something about Edward acting weird. Edward, could you act, uh, really upset?" Alice asked, addressing me. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything, so say no if you don't want to."

"Edward?" Jasper murmured, covering the speaker. "You're going to do it, right?"

"What choice do I have?" I mumbled, burying my face in my hands. Emmett would kill me if I was the reason this didn't work. I exhaled deeply. "Yes, I'll do it. I'll tell Emmett, too."

Jasper smiled and thanked me. "Edward can do that. And he says that he can get Emmett in on the plan as well."

"Great. Now we have to make sure that Rosalie doesn't decide to be super bitchy on Monday." Jasper laughed, and I smiled. "Jazz, can you make sure she's happy over the weekend?"

"Of course. It'll be hard, but I think I can manage," Jasper teased.

"We're all going to need each other's numbers so we can call each other if we need to," came Alice's innocent voice. Jasper and I looked at each other and shrugged.

"I don't have a phone anymore. Got rid of it five months ago," I informed him. He nodded.

"Ali, you can give Bella mine, and I'm sure you can give me Bella's. Edward doesn't have a phone anymore. He trashed his a few months ago."

It was quiet for a few seconds. "All right. I can do that. Anything else?" Alice murmured.

"Nope, nothing on our side." Jasper looked to me for confirmation, and I nodded. "Anything on yours?"

"Edward, why were you holding Bella's hand?" Alice asked suspiciously.

"_Alice_," Bella snapped.

I colored and buried my face in my hands. Why did this always manage to happen to me? Why was the universe being cruel?

"Please, Ali, drop it," Jasper begged. I could feel his eyes on me.

"I want to know," she insisted.

"Edward," Jasper said softly. His hand touched my shoulder, and I felt panic sweep over me.

"Don't touch me!" I yelled. Jasper pulled his hand back, his eyes wide. "Don't fucking touch me."

Jasper nodded slowly. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Edward, calm down," Bella whispered through the phone. "Please calm down."

I buried my face in my hands, letting my mind clear itself. Jasper hadn't meant any harm; he was only trying to help – just like everyone else. I was sensitive and hurt, and I was lashing at Jasper because I was scared about what would happen when I went home to Esme. I was hoping that she would go easy on me – getting grounded for a little while, then a hug. But realistically, if Carlisle was handing out my punishment, I was definitely in trouble.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "Sorry, Jasper. I didn't mean to yell." Finally, I looked up and saw his slate-blue eyes on mine, worried.

"It's okay. I understand."

It was silent for a moment before Bella's warm voice filled the room. "So are we good now?"

"Yeah, we're good," Jasper confirmed. "Is Alice away from the phone?" He glanced at me.

"Yes. She's putting her stuff in my room. Should I tell her to text you later?" she asked.

Jasper and I looked at each other. Jasper's eyes were twinkling, and he smiled a little. "That's fine. I guess I'll talk to you two later. Rose should be home soon. Bye, Bella."

I waited for her voice that last time. My lips quirked into a small smile at the sound of her voice. "Bye, Jasper. Goodbye, Edward."

Jasper looked at me. "What was that?" he demanded, pocketing his cell phone.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I'm stressed and worried, and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have."

Jasper lay back on his bed. "No, you shouldn't have. But I'm glad that you know why you yelled at me. Is that what you did to Esme this morning?"

"Basically," I admitted.

"No wonder Carlisle nearly kicked your ass," Jasper noted, chuckling. He put his hands behind his head, making himself comfortable on his bed.

"No kidding," I agreed, my voice barely a mumble. "I'm scared of my punishment. I've never done anything like that in months, you know?"

"So what made you freak this morning?" Jasper turned on his side and watched me, concerned.

"I was writing music. A piece for the piano," I elaborated. "It was playing in my head, and I had just started to write it down. And then, after barely anything, it disappeared out of nowhere. I got frustrated and shoved my sheet music to the ground. I offered to pick it up, but Esme kept insisting that she would do it. I guess I got paranoid, and when she tried to help, I slapped her hand away."

Jasper grimaced. "Sounds like both of you were trying to be too helpful. She's just concerned about you, Edward."

"I know she is, but I was already frustrated. She shouldn't have pushed it," I sighed. "And now I don't know _what_ Carlisle will do." Worried, I bit my lip.

Jasper shrugged and gave me a sad smile. The rest of my visit, we talked. Jasper's mom made dinner, and I ate with them. Thankfully, Rosalie still wasn't back while we ate, otherwise I would've made Jasper take me home early.

Around six forty-five, Jasper and I headed to my house. As I got out of the car, Jasper insisted, "If you need me, call me, all right?"

I nodded. "Thanks, Jasper. I'll see you Monday."

"Bye, Edward." I watched as he backed out of the driveway, unable to face Carlisle and Esme just yet.

Finally, I couldn't delay any longer. I opened the front door and slipped in, virtually silent. I glanced around the house, afraid.

I didn't hear Carlisle or Esme. I heard music playing from Emmett's room and relaxed a little. Carlisle wouldn't murder me with Emmett in the house, right? I hoped so.

"Edward," came Carlisle's cold voice. "I'm glad you're back." I tensed, my eyes closing. My heart jumped into overdrive, and I was probably seconds away from hyperventilating.

I turned around, opening my eyes. Carlisle was there, his arms crossed. Esme was standing beside him, a sad look on her face.

"Hi," I croaked.

"I assume you know you're in trouble," Carlisle said, his eyes hard as he appraised me.

Swallowing heavily, I nodded. I was so fucked. But maybe if I apologized, my punishment wouldn't be as harsh as it would be. I could try, at least. "Esme, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. You don't deserve that. I'm sorry."

Esme nodded, but she didn't say anything which led me to the conclusion that apologies weren't going to get me anywhere. Carlisle had my punishment set up, and it wasn't going to change regardless of what I said or did.

"No piano for six months."

The words made my head spin. "What?" I heard myself whisper.

"You heard me. Your piano is off-limits for six months," he repeated. "And I'm stopping your sleeping pills."

My eyes widened. "Why?"

"They're affecting your behavior," he replied sternly.

"But – I won't be able to sleep."

"I guess you should have thought about that before you acted this morning, hm?" he asked. Without another word, he turned, heading to the stairs.

I stumbled back into the couch and collapsed. I buried my head in my hands and sobbed roughly. No piano, and no sleep – this was my punishment. I had to admit – it was much worse than I'd expected, but at least they weren't kicking me out.

"Edward, I'm so sorry," Esme whispered. "I tried to convince him to let you keep the piano, or to move it to two or three months, but he wouldn't budge."

I shook my head, swallowing. "It's okay," I choked out. "I'm getting what I deserve."

"Oh, honey," she breathed. She let her hand gently rest on the back of my neck. "I'm sorry, Edward. I'll keep trying."

I stood, glancing at her and nodding. "I'm going to try to sleep," I told her.

Her eyes softened, and she nodded. I went to my room and curled up on my bed. I tried to relax and breathed evenly. Eventually, I drifted.

"_Edward, please!" she screamed, begging. Her eyes filled with tears. "Please!"_

"_What?" I shouted, tears pricking my eyes as well. "What do you want?"_

"_Help," she whispered. She looked down, horrified, and flames covered her body. Her flesh burned in front of me. She screamed in agony, falling to her knees. "Why?" she rasped, looking up at me._

"No!" I shouted, sitting up. I looked around, gasping for breath. I groaned when I saw that it had only been half an hour since I'd gotten home.

"Edward, you okay?" Emmett asked from the other side of my door.

"Yeah," I whispered, my voice shaking. "I'm okay."

Emmett cracked my door open. "Esme says that it's dinner time. You came home early. She was in the middle of making spaghetti," Emmett informed me.

"I already ate," I told him, raking a hand through my sweaty hair.

"I wouldn't push it," he warned. "Just come down and eat a little," he persuaded.

I swallowed a little and nodded. "Okay. Thanks, Emmett. Tell her I'll be down in a minute."

He smiled. "Of course." He shut the door behind him gently. I took a moment to regain my composure. When I did, I went downstairs. Carlisle and Emmett were already at the table, eating. Esme was serving another plate.

"Not too much," I whispered, my throat raw. "I already ate at Jasper's."

Esme looked at me, and her face blanched. I hadn't taken the time to look at myself in the mirror before I came down. Apparently, it was worse than I'd suspected. "Here." She smiled worriedly as she handed me my plate.

"Thank you."

I sat down at the table next to Emmett and Esme. Unfortunately, I was across from Carlisle. I kept my eyes on the plate in front of me, but I felt sick to my stomach. Basically, I picked at the food, only eating a strand of spaghetti every once in a while. I felt Carlisle's gaze on me the whole time, and that made me very uncomfortable.

"So, Edward, what did you do at Jasper's?" Carlisle asked. The tension in the room thickened.

"Just hung out," I mumbled.

"Why couldn't you come home with Emmett?" he pressed.

I swallowed, feeling anxious. Did Emmett want Carlisle to know about our plan or not?

He saved me. "Edward was helping me out," he said casually.

"Hm," was Carlisle's only response.

Esme tried to alleviate the tension. "Emmett, how was your day?" she asked, moving the focus of the conversation to Emmett.

He began to talk about his day, but I was unintentionally tuning him out, staring at the food Esme made. I pushed it around my plate, feeling my stomach churn as I thought about eating a few more bites just to appease Carlisle.

". . . at all, Edward?" I heard. I glanced up, seeing Esme looking at me expectantly.

"Um, could you repeat that?" I reddened a little, embarrassed at not listening to Esme.

"Did you sleep at all?"

My throat closed up, and I shut my eyes against the tears that threatened. "For half an hour," I managed to choke out.

Carlisle nodded to himself, and I looked down at my plate. "May I be excused?" I whispered.

Esme opened her mouth to say something, but Carlisle beat her to it. "Not until you finish."

"Carlisle, he already ate at Jasper's. You're excused, Edward." She smiled at me a little.

"Thank you, Esme," I mumbled, taking my plate to the sink and rinsing it off. I trudged up the stairs and sat on my bed, rolling over.

After a few minutes, there was a knock on my door. "Come in."

"Hey, Edward," came Esme's kind voice. "I'm sorry. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. I'm tired, though. I'm gonna try to sleep a little more." I tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace.

Esme's features softened. "Sleep well, Edward. I love you."

"Love you, too," I mumbled, burying my face in my pillow.

I was plagued by nightmares every time I closed my eyes. That night, I slept maybe two hours, at the maximum. And every time, she was always screaming for me to help her. But I didn't know how. I never knew how to help her.

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So what did you guys think? Leave me some love... pretty please? :3

**- J.C.**


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